Manchester United may possess an impressive armoury of offensive players but Ralf Rangnick is looking at improving the options available to him.
Erling Haaland has been regularly linked but he's not the only offensive player on the radar of the Red Devils.
What's the word?
It feels unlikely that Haaland will arrive in January and a solid alternative could be a forward currently plying his trade in South America.
That's according to Fabrizio Romano who claims United have sent scouts to watch River Plate star, Julian Alvarez.
Taking to Twitter, the journalist said: "There are no talks for Julian Álvarez to Manchester United as things stand. Monitoring talents is normal for top clubs - but there are no conversations open to sign him in January as of now."
That came after reports linked the Red Devils with a swoop for the promising 21-year-old.
Alvarez is currently valued at £18m via Transfermarkt.
The new Tevez
United certainly aren't strapped for attacking options with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani all fighting for places.
With that in mind, signing another striker in 2022 seems a little foolish.
However, when taking a look at the statistics and potential that Alvarez possesses, it becomes evident why he's on the radar of Rangnick and co.
He has scored 18 times this term in just 21 outings, taking his tally for River to a whopping 36 strikes.
Based on that, he'd certainly improve the club's forward line and he could even become the club's new Carlos Tevez.
Another Argentine, the bullish attacker netted 34 times in United colours while registering 14 assists too.
In the process, he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League too in what was a decorated stay at Old Trafford.
It's unlikely that Alvarez would help United to European glory anytime soon but his style of play is certainly comparable.
Described as "hungry" by Sebastian Abreu, he's also been compared to one of the great strikers of the modern game. United podcaster and journalist, Ty Sports, took to Twitter to make the following comparison:
"That Julian Alvarez gives me Carlos Tevez vibes. His running style, link-up play and type of finishing. Based on clips I’ve seen, I can see why top clubs are after him. He looks to have the determination of a player who wants to play at the highest level," he commented.
Touted to reach dizzy heights within the game, it's easy to stake a claim for Rangnick signing him next year. United simply have to get a deal done to improve their attacking line in the long term.