Manchester United's midfield has been one of the biggest talking points of the summer transfer window.
The club has already invested £83 million in the arrivals of Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
However, with Manuel Ugarte sidelined for several months by a knee injury and Casemiro departing after his contract expired at the end of June, expectations remain high that United will strengthen the engine room with another signing before the window closes.
Bournemouth pair Alex Scott and Tyler Adams have both been linked with moves to Old Trafford, while speculation surrounding Roma midfielder Manu Koné has refused to go away.
Meanwhile, reports suggest Real Madrid are open to discussing Aurélien Tchouaméni's future as they explore the possibility of signing Manchester City's Rodri.
But Tchouaméni's expected wage demands and sizeable transfer fee would appear to conflict with United's commitment to maintaining financial discipline, particularly as they also continue their search for a left-sided attacker and another forward to support Benjamin Šeško, who is recovering from a shin injury.
Yet based on United's opening two pre-season performances, Michael Carrick may already have the answer much closer to home.
