It is no secret that Manchester United are keen to strengthen their centre-forward ranks this month, with Erik ten Hag's options having been somewhat depleted following the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo.

With Anthony Martial also somewhat unreliable due to his repeated injury woes, bringing in a new striker is seemingly something of a necessity if the Red Devils are to clinch top-four qualification, with the United boss himself having insisted that there is a "need" to bolster the forward line.

Despite that desperation, the suggestion is that the club's hefty summer spend - which reportedly totted up to roughly £225m - has left Ten Hag will little to work with with regards to funds, with the Premier League giants said to be prioritising a temporary, loan option in the current window.

One figure who has been tipped to be a short-term fix is AC Milan veteran, Olivier Giroud, with The Times reporting earlier this week that the Old Trafford outfit are considering making an offer for the experienced Frenchman.

The 36-year-old "machine" - as lauded by journalist Saddick Adams - could well be an attainable target with just six months remaining on his existing deal at San Siro, while he also offers valuable Premier League experience after previously netting 90 times in the division across spells at both Chelsea and Arsenal.

Although it is hard to dispute the 6 foot 4 gem's stellar goal record - having scored 246 club career goals to date as well as a record-breaking haul of 53 goals in 120 caps for his country - there may well be doubts among supporters as to the wisdom of bringing in yet another, ageing striker to merely plug a gap.

The Red Devils have, of course, had previous for making such short-term moves after snapping up the likes of Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Odion Ighalo and Edinson Cavani in recent years, with all enjoying varying degrees of success.

The fear will be that the signing of Giroud could well mirror that of Cavani's addition, with the Uruguayan having only enjoyed a brief stint at the club after joining in the twilight of his career back in the summer of 2020.

The Uruguay international did enjoy a standout first season at the club after scoring 17 goals in just 39 games in all competitions, although was unable to record a regular run in the side due to fitness and injury concerns, starting just 13 league games that term.

That was particularly evident in the following campaign as the former Paris Saint-Germain ace scored only twice in just 20 appearances across all fronts, having demonstrated an inability or an unwillingness to feature on a consistent basis.

Like with Cavani, there can be no question marks over Giroud's prowess in front of goal, although it may appear difficult to rely on a player who is arguably approaching the latter stages of his career.

Equally, bringing in a stop-gap signing like the Frenchman will likely ensure that United are still in need to recruit once again a year or so down the line, with the club currently in the position they are in with regards to needing a striker due to the acquisitions of the likes of Cavani and Ronaldo - with the pair only enjoying brief spells at the Theatre of Dreams.

Having brought in a succession of high-profile, yet declining strikers in the recent past, the Manchester outfit may well be better served looking to a more youthful face this month, rather than continuing the present trend with the capture of Giroud.