Manchester United are hardly bursting with numbers in the final third of the field, with Cristiano Ronaldo's departure at the end of 2022 leaving a gaping hole in the squad.
Wout Weghorst spent the second half of last season on loan at the club from Burnley but failed to make a serious impression, and he will not be returning to Old Trafford for the new season.
Atalanta BC's Rasmus Hojlund is the club's leading target at centre-forward, and there is hope from Man United's side that a deal will be completed in the not too distant future.
Despite head coach Erik ten Hag being short of attacking options, there are expected to be departures in that area of the field this summer, with players in need of regular action set to be sent away from the club on a temporary basis.
With that in mind, Sports Mole looks at three individuals who could potentially depart Old Trafford on loan for the 2023-24 campaign.
Mason Greenwood
© Reuters
Mason Greenwood is free to resume his career, having seen all criminal charges against him dropped, and a final decision from Man United on his future is set to be made over the next couple of weeks.
The Red Devils are not expected to sell him or terminate his contract, with a loan move likely to instead occur for the 2023-24 campaign, giving the England international the chance to rebuild his career away from the club before potentially returning to Old Trafford for the 2024-25 season.
Atalanta BC have allegedly turned down the chance to sign Greenwood on loan as part of the Hojlund deal, but the Italian side are still thought to be interested in his services.
Meanwhile, there is said to be further Italian interest in the shape of Juventus, AC Milan and Roma, in addition to a number of Turkish clubs.
Greenwood has scored 35 goals and registered 12 assists in 129 matches for the Red Devils, but he is unlikely to be a part of the Man United squad for next season.
Amad Diallo
© Reuters
Amad is back at Old Trafford this summer after a successful loan spell at Sunderland, where he scored 14 goals and registered four assists in 42 appearances in all competitions.
The 21-year-old has only made nine first-team appearances for Man United, scoring once and providing one assist, but he is set to be heavily involved in their pre-season preparations.
Amad featured against Leeds United in Oslo last Wednesday and is also set to be involved in Wednesday's friendly against Lyon, which will be Man United's last pre-season game ahead of their USA tour.
It will ultimately be up to Ten Hag to decide whether he can offer the Ivory Coast international enough football next season to continue to aid his development.
If that is not the case, then Amad will head out on another loan deal for the 2023-24 campaign, with a number of clubs believed to be keeping a close eye on the situation.
Facundo Pellistri
© Reuters
Pellistri is at the stage of his career where he needs to be playing regularly, and it is difficult to imagine him receiving too much football at Man United next season.
The 21-year-old featured on 10 occasions for the Red Devils last season, but just four of those outings were in the Premier League, all off the bench in the second half of matches.
Pellistri did start against Real Betis in the Europa League last term, but it would not be a surprise to see him head out on another loan for the 2023-24 campaign.
The Uruguay international has had two separate spells on loan at Alaves in La Liga, and a return to Spain is thought to be a possibility for the attacker this summer.
Much could depend on Man United's business over the next few weeks, as both Amad and Pellistri are unlikely to head out unless there is another addition in a wide area, so a strong pre-season could potentially lead to the South American being a part of the squad next term.
Matt Law
