In truth, the Manchester United faithful will just want this disaster of a season to end already.
However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe hasn't given up hope of Erik ten Hag's team turning their campaign around and sneaking into a Champions League spot by the end of the campaign.
Therefore, the Red Devils will look to bring a new addition to the club by the end of the month.
The fix to United's attacking woes
According to Fabrizio Romano, via GiveMeSport, United have been discussing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting internally.
The transfer expert mentioned that the 34-year-old is "appreciated" by the English club.
However, any move for the Bayern player will be a short-term loan deal till the end of the season, with financial fair play restrictions preventing United from splashing the cash.
The news comes amid talk of a rather more staggering move potentially being in the pipeline with reports suggesting the Red Devils have held talks over a move to sign Karim Benzema following Anthony Martial's injury.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024 The stats that show Choupo-Moting could revive Antony
Life as a Man United player for Antony has been far from a memorable period. The Brazilian followed in Ten Hag's footsteps from Ajax to Old Trafford last season, coming with a whopping £86m fee and huge expectations. Fast forward to today, and the 23-year-old has failed to register a goal contribution all season while also being labelled as last year's 'flop of the season' by talkSPORT's Tony Casacrino.
Despite the left-footed winger being a frustrating player to watch, he has been a tad unfortunate this season, with just the output missing from some decent performances. The environment for him to succeed has also not been provided, which is more of a recruitment issue than the player's fault.
However, Choupo-Moting could provide the perfect profile for Antony to finally flourish in a United shirt. The table below shows a handful of the striker's stats from the last year that proves why.
Goals
0.54
Top 21%
Touches (Att pen)
6.86
Top 7%
Passes received
31.23
Top 11%
Pass completion %
79.7%
Top 9%
Key passes
1.53
Top 12%
Antony isn't a player that boasts blistering pace or power to make a run in behind and beat a man like Marcus Rashford on the opposite flank, but he does thrive when in a settled attacking shape where he can combine with those around him. This is shown by his rank in the top 6% and top 1% for passes into the penalty area and touches in the attacking third during Ajax's 2021/22 Champions League campaign, as per FBref.
Choupo-Moting has been described as an "out-and-out centre forward" by former Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann, and his ability to link play is excellent, as shown by his high passes received, key passes, and high pass completion percentage. The addition of the £116k-per-week Cameroon star would make Antony far less isolated on the right and allow him to drift inside onto his left foot much more often.
That side of Antony's game is yet to be seen, with United lacking a true number nine last season and Rasmus Hojlund rarely showing for the ball, as shown by the fact he ranks in the bottom 13% and bottom 4% for passes attempted and touches in the Premier League, according to FBref.
The Brazilian also ranked in the top 6% for xA during that competition, therefore, having a finisher in the box like Choupo-Moting would give him a constant target to aim for and allow his creativity to shine through.
Forget about a certain aforementioned Benzema, it is clear that Choupo-Moting could just save Antony's career at Man United.