Manchester United are on the verge of bringing in a low-cost replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United are said to be leading the race to sign Marcus Thuram from Borussia Monchengladbach, despite competition from Premier League rivals. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure prior to the World Cup, the Red Devils are desperate to sign a striker this month.

Only Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are competing for the central striker position in Erik ten Hag’s squad. The latter came off the bench to score the game-winning goal against Wolves on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to make up for United’s lackluster оffensive performance.

United struggled to consistently put pressure on their opponents’ defenses, and aside from Rashford, the club appears to be lacking in cutting-edge and a genuine goal tҺreat. Ten Hag’s performance demonstrated why he is desperate to sign another striker, and his team may have found him.

Thuram, a France international, is ready to join United on a cheap deal in the January transfer window, according to BILD. The 25-year-contract old’s will expire at the end of the season, and Monchengladbach are considering selling him rather than losing him on a free transfer later in the season.

United have been reported to be interested in signing him for as little as £10.6 million due to his contract situation.

Aston Villa and Newcastle United have also expressed interest in the former Guingamp player, but he has turned them down. They were instructed to “save their bids” because Thuram wishes to play for one of his “four dream clubs,” which include Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United.

The prolific forward has 10 goals and three assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, and he helped France reach the World Cup final last month.

Ten Hag, who has a wealth of experience, will be overjoyed that Thuram has given them the go-ahead to begin talks with Monchengladbach, given that he has called for the club to recruit ‘players not numbers’.

“We need good players, not just numbers,” the ex-Ajax coach stated earlier this week. We need top-tier players to step up. We also require competition and the knowledge that we have the ability to make different choices. So we’re looking for the right player for our team, but he or she must be athletic as well as financially capable.”