Manchester United finished third in the Premier League in 22/23 and secured qualification for the Champions League group stages next season.
However, Erik ten Hag may not be content with only competing for a place in Europe and could look to make additions to his squad with the aim of gunning for the title.
Football Insider recently reported that the club want to add a 'marquee' number nine to their squad. This makes sense when you consider that they ranked eighth in the division for goals scored in 2022/23.
Marcus Rashford, who was deployed out wide or through the middle, was the only United player to hit double figures (17) for goals and this suggests that the club failed to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who departed Old Trafford in November of last year.
The Portuguese legend plundered 18 league goals, which made him the side's top goalscorer, in 21/22 and ten Hag is currently lacking a prolific number nine who can be a reliable scorer alongside Rashford in the final third.
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United's head coach could finally find the dream heir to Ronaldo's throne in the number nine position by securing a deal to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus this summer.
He is a reported transfer target for the Premier League giants and is thought to be available for a fee in the region of €90m (£77m), just 18 months on from his £66m switch to the Italian side from domestic rivals Fiorentina.
The 23-year-old marksman endured a difficult campaign in front of goal during the 2022/23 campaign as the Serbian international scored ten times in 27 Serie A outings, although the exciting forward managed to marginally outperform his xG of 9.73.
Whilst that return was still more than any United player outside of Rashford produced last term, Vlahovic did not live up to the standards he set for himself in the previous two campaigns.
The former Fiorentina hotshot racked up 24 goals in 36 league matches in 2021/22 after an equally impressive 21 strikes in 37 Serie A games the season before that.
These returns are particularly outstanding when you factor in that no Manchester United player has scored more than 18 league goals in a season since Robin van Persie struck 26 times in 2012/13.
Vlahovic, who was once hailed as "incredibly prolific" by scout Jacek Kulig, has the potential to be a goalscoring machine for the Red Devils, despite a dip in form over the last year, in the same way that Ronaldo was before his move to Saudi Arabia.
Ten Hag is clearly in the market for a marquee no.9 and Vlahovic's returns in two of the last three seasons indicate that he would be exactly what the manager is looking for.
