Manchester United have reportedly identified Leicester City's James Maddison and Aston Villa's Jack Grealish as leading January transfer targets.
The Red Devils will be without both Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba for at least the next month through injury, while the likes of Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Juan Mata have struggled to impress this term.
According to The Independent, United wanted to wait until the summer to sign a new playmaker, but the team's 'ongoing issues' could force them into the winter market.
The report claims that Maddison and Grealish are viewed as the top targets, although it remains to be seen whether Leicester or Villa would be prepared to sell in the middle of the season.
The 20-time English champions are also allegedly considering a fresh move for Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will be looking to bounce back from Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Arsenal when they travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup on Saturday.