While Manchester United supporters will be focusing on any potential incomings at Old Trafford next month, the club's priority in the January window appears to be on getting players out the door instead, with a handful of key names seemingly up for grabs.
The latest indication is that Donny van de Beek is set to seal a loan move to Bundesliga side, Eintracht Frankfurt, while the likes of Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho could also potentially be offered around – the latter man, in particular, amid his ongoing exile.
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Erik ten Hag will also have a decision to make with regard to any youngsters who may also have their eye on a temporary switch until the end of the season, with recent speculation indicating that academy sensation, Dan Gore, could be on his way to the EFL in 2024.
Man Utd transfer news – Dan Gore
According to a report from Manchester Evening News, the 19-year-old is attracting loan interest from Championship side Preston North End heading into the winter window, with the second-tier side only recently taking on Alvaro Fernandez from the Red Devils for the 2022/23 campaign.
The report does not suggest whether United would sanction an exit for the teenager in the new year, although it does reveal that the club are willing to let some of their young talent head out on loan in order to aid their development.
The Old Trafford outfit have no doubt had great success in the past by loaning out emerging talents to clubs lower down the pyramid, with Preston, most notably, having played a part in David Beckham's progression back in the early 90s.
David Beckham's spell at Preston
If Gore is to head to Deepdale next month, he would be following in the footsteps of treble-winner Beckham, with the ex-England skipper spending a brief period at the club back in 1995.
For a player who went on to win trophies galore at the Theatre of Dreams – as well turning out for the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain – such a stint is understandably overlooked, yet Beckham himself has spoken of the "great memories" he has from the loan spell:
“To be honest, great memories. I arrived thinking that Manchester United didn’t want me anymore. It’s what Sir Alex Ferguson used to do, with a lot of young players who needed toughing up. He’d send them out to the lower leagues to get kicked around a little bit and that’s exactly what I did. I went there, played four or five games, scored a couple of goals, set a few up and it actually went very well. But, I definitely got kicked around a little bit.”
While on at Preston for a matter of months, the 48-year-old did still manage to score twice in just five appearances, even scoring the first free-kick of his professional career to provide an early indication of his unique talents.
Not to suggest that Gore will also go on to become a football superstar like his compatriot, yet a spell in the second tier could well be crucial in helping to nurture this special talent.
Dan Gore's style of play
Amid the mounting injuries that Ten Hag is facing in the midfield ranks of late, Gore has been a regular fixture in matchday squads this season, notably making his senior debut against Crystal Palace in the League Cup back in September.
That first-team bow had been a long time coming for a player who has blossomed at youth level in recent years, having been the subject of hefty praise from coach Mark Dempsey for his standout showings:
"I like to see him play football because he’s one of them to get fans off their seats. He smashes into people, technically he’s fantastic and he’s been terrific all season. He’s been captain a number of times and personality-wise, he’s a quiet boy, but he’s a leader.
"He leads by example. He’s a local lad, he loves the football club and you see that in the way he plays. Whether he’s playing at Old Trafford, a three-a-side at Carrington or at The Cliff, it’s the same performance from the kid and we’ve all got a lot of time for Daniel."
The hope will be that the young playmaker – who has been described as a "Roy Keane-type" by his former Burnley youth coach Lewis Craig – can eventually form a midfield partnership with fellow teen, Kobbie Mainoo, with the 18-year-old currently shining in Ten Hag's ranks.
Lauded as "unbelievable" by Keane after making his Premier League debut against Everton last month, Mainoo has grasped his opportunity with both hands and looks set to be a mainstay in the side for the years to come, with a loan departure now seemingly out of the question.
That's not to suggest that enduring a temporary stint would derail Gore's hopes of also making that step up to the United first team, with the Englishman only needing to look to Beckham's example for inspiration.