Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a shock move for Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choup-Moting in the winter window.

What's the word?

That's according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, who revealed that the Red Devils have made an enquiry regarding the Cameroon international amid their quest to bolster Erik ten Hag's attacking ranks.

Writing on Twitter about that interest, the transfer insider wrote: "News Choupo-Moting: #MUFC is seriously interested in a transfer in winter, they have inquired about him. He's a candidate to replace #Ronaldo. Manchester bosses expect him to leave in winter. But: Choupo will stay! Talks about a new contract after the World Cup."

Ighalo 2.0

It could well prove to be a blessing in disguise if the 33-year-old does opt to stay put at the Allianz Arena, with the ageing talent seemingly not the solution to the Old Trafford outfit's current woes in front of goal.

There is undoubtedly a need for a reliable goalscoring presence in Ten Hag's side with last season's top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo - who has been tipped for a departure in January - scoring only three times in all competitions this time around, with the Portuguese having become something of a problem for his side.

That fact - as well as the injury woes of Anthony Martial - has played its part in United netting just 18 times in 13 Premier League games this season, with that only the 11th-best record in the division at present.

Despite those issues in the final third, it would be a rather bizarre choice to turn to Choup-Moting as the solution, even if the £58.5k-per-week menace is having an "unbelievable" season for his current side at present, as per Manuel Veth, with ten goals in just 14 games this season taking him to 28 in total for Bayern.

That current hot streak should not overshadow what would be a potentially head-scratching move for those at the Theatre of Dreams, with any deal likely to be a mere continuation of the recent trend at the club of signing ageing forwards as mere short-term options.

While at least the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and the aforementioned Ronaldo all arrived with some pedigree, in the case of Choupo-Moting the one-time Paris Saint-Germain man has never been truly prolific, notably recording a forgettable spell at Stoke City where he netted just five times in 32 games for the Potters.

Such a swoop would evoke memories of the desperate, deadline-day deal for Odion Ighalo back in February 2020, with then-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having also turned to the mid-season market to bolster his firepower.

Although the former Watford man hardly disgraced himself in a United shirt - scoring five times in 23 games in all competitions - the Nigerian was seemingly not the calibre of player that the club were in need of, nor an asset who could produce the goods in the long-term as a result of his age.

Lessons should well have been learned from that flawed deal, although it would simply be history repeating itself if Choupo-Moting was to arrive through the door.

The hope among supporters will likely be that this 'interest' ends in the same manner as that of another man with Stoke connections, Marko Arnautovic, with the Austrian having at one stage appeared close to joining the Red Devils over the summer.