Manchester United are on the verge of completing two major deals, but their next move after that is unclear. With only a couple of weeks remaining until the start of the Premier League season, the club's transfer business is expected to ramp up significantly.
So far, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow have been added to strengthen the senior squad. Darlow's arrival in particular has opened the door for two exits.
Bayindir and Vitek Set to Leave
Altay Bayindir was United's second choice last season, but at 28, he needs to be at a club who will play him regularly. A loan move to La Liga side Celta Vigo is close to being agreed, and could be made permanent by the Spanish club next summer for £3.5m.
It's a similar story for Radek Vitek. Unlike Bayindir, the 22-year-old is at the beginning of his career and got a taste for regular first-team football at Bristol City last season. The Czech goalkeeper made it clear after the Wrexham defeat that he wanted to be a No.1 this year. That opportunity was never going to arrive at Old Trafford with Senne Lammens in such good form. So, a move to Middlesbrough is now on the cards.
Uncertain Next Move
Once those two deals are completed, as expected, United will move onto their next piece of business. But what that will be is unclear. At the beginning of the summer Joshua Zirkzee's exit looked to be nailed on. The Dutch forward has clearly struggled leading the line in the Premier League. He often plays better as a No.10, but there are a long list of options in that role for United.
Zirkzee's exit should only be approved if United have a player in mind to replace him. Currently, the Reds would be without a starting striker against Hull if Zirkzee was to leave as Benjamin Sesko, this season's first choice, continues his recovery from injury. Sesko has not been seen in a travelling squad this pre-season.
Michael Carrick alternated between Bryan Mbeumo and Zirkzee against Atletico Madrid. Both did well but it's difficult to say the Dutchman did enough to keep him around. The issue for United is that signing that elusive centre-forward replacement is proving to be a challenge.
Other Potential Changes
There are currently no obvious targets on the market for United. The only one they had previously considered was Danny Welbeck. But, he was not on their list this year and Chelsea have now snapped him up. With the striker situation an unwelcome headache, there could be other areas of the team that see changes made.
Left-back needs strengthening and Newcastle's Lewis Hall is a player United admire. The Magpies are currently negotiating Bruno Guimaraes' exit to Arsenal. Once he leaves, the north east club will want to stop the exodus of players, meaning a deal for Hall will be tough.
Theoretically, United could decide to agree loan exits for some of their academy stars next. Chido Obi, Toby Collyer, Dan Gore and Jacob Devaney were noticeable in their absence from the trip to Stockholm last weekend.
Collyer is the most likely player to leave permanently this summer and you would imagine a handful of Championship clubs would be eager to snap him up. Obi, Gore and Devaney could all leave on loan but there's also an argument to suggest they deserve the full pre-season before their short-term futures are decided.
Time Running Out
Whichever way you look at it, United's next transfer is no longer obvious. Each of their potential next moves has pitfalls attached and time is starting to run out. With just over two weeks before the Reds travel to Hull, fans will be hoping for some movement ahead of the big kick off.
