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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's temporary reign at Old Trafford got off to a flying start, as Manchester United demolished Cardiff City 5-1 in the Norwegian's first game in charge.
The '99 treble-winning hero has managed to completely transform the mood around the club in a matter of days. The hopelessness that followed the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield has been replaced with a joyous enthusiasm and hope for the future.
In spite of the emphatic performance in South Wales, Solskjaer will be well aware of the scope of the task that awaits him in the coming months. The 45-year-old will have a hand in the club's signings during the January transfer window, and United will almost certainly recruit a few players to try and challenge for the top 4.
A report in the Mirror suggested that Solskjaer would only be allowed to make loan signings in the winter transfer window. However, conflicting news emerged recently that Juventus had turned down a bid of £54 million from United for Douglas Costa.
The Brazilian would solve a major problem position for the Red Devils. The likes of Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford are all capable of playing down the left flank, but United lack a traditional right winger.
Jose Mourinho actively pursued Ivan Perisic to fix this issue in recent transfer windows, but was put off by Inter Milan's astronomical valuation.
Costa would be a great addition - his pace and trickery would add an additional dimension in attack. He also all the attributes to flourish under Solskjaer.
But Juventus are renowned for playing hardball, and Woodward will find it hard to prise the Brazilian away from Turin.
Here are 3 other players United could target instead of the 28-year-old in January:
#3. Thorgan Hazard
The less illustrious younger brother of Eden. All the pointers, however, indicate that he could well live up to the family name.
Thorgan joined Borussia Monchengladbach from Chelsea in 2015, after impressing them while on loan in Germany.
He's always been a crucial squad player for them, with his performances even earning him regular call-ups from Belgium. But this season, his numbers have been truly astonishing.
Hazard has scored 9 goals and provided 6 assists in the Bundesliga so far, having started every single game. His total goal involvement is only 2 shy of his elder sibling.
Although he's made a name for himself as an attacking midfielder, he's equally capable of playing as a winger. He's known for his direct style of attacking. His passing, vision and creativity could be an invaluable asset for United on the right.
His goalscoring return also shows that he can be clinical in the box. Although scoring will be a smaller problem under Solksjaer, the Red Devils could use someone prolific in the final third like Thorgan.
Gladbach will also be a lot easier to negotiate with than Juventus.
#2. Suso
If not for Mo Salah, Liverpool would probably be regretting making the premature decision to sell Suso to AC Milan in 2015.
In spite of a decent loan spell at Almeria, the Reds decided to let him leave for Italy after his contract ran out at Anfield. Even at Milan, he was loaned out to Genoa for half a season before establishing himself as a first team regular.
The Spaniard has consistently amassed 30-plus appearances over the last couple of seasons. In the current campaign, he's started every match in the Serie A, with an impressive output of 4 goals and 8 assists.
The 25-year-old is a versatile attacker, although his best position is on the right wing. A naturally left-footed player, Suso is known for his pace and creativity. He's also a decent finisher, and is capable of taking set pieces.
Having endured mediocre campaigns with Milan, he might be looking for a way out of Italy in search of silverware. United could provide him with regular game time, and a chance to prove his former club wrong.
#1. Nicolas Pepe
The Ivorian winger is probably one of the hottest properties in Europe right now, and as a result, one of the hardest to sign.
Having broken into the first team of Angers in 2016/17, Pepe departed for Lille the very next season, to play under Marcelo Bielsa.
The current Leeds coach experimented by playing Pepe up top, a gamble that didn't work. Bielsa was eventually given the sack before Christmas, and the 23-year-old was restored to his favoured position on the right.
Pepe is known for his excellent ball control, pace, and directness while attacking. He's played almost every single minute of Lille's Ligue 1 campaign so far, with his 12 goals and 5 assists catapulting them to second place.
Lille have apparently made it clear that they want €80 million for his services, and a January move away from Ligue 1 is very much on the cards. The asking price might be a stumbling block for Woodward, but Pepe has all the qualities to potentially thrive in the Premier League, despite him attracting interest from many top European clubs.
