Three low-cost forwards Manchester United could sign in January

Cristiano Ronaldo's contract at Manchester United could be terminated following the Portugal's international's explosive interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV.

The 37-year-old is not expected to play for the Red Devils again, and his exit will leave the Red Devils short of options at centre-forward in the second half of the campaign.

Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are currently the first-choice options in that area of the field, but the former has struggled with a number of injury problems during the 2022-23 campaign.

Man United were not thought to be planning for a busy January window, but it would not be a surprise to see them enter the market for a new striker at the start of 2023.

With that in mind, Sports Mole identifies three potential low-cost options for the 20-time English champions during the winter market.

Memphis Depay (Barcelona)

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Barcelona are reportedly willing to sell Memphis Depay for as little as £4.3m during the January market, with the Netherlands international's contract set to expire next June.

Injuries have restricted him to just three appearances for Barcelona this season, but the forward is currently with the Dutch squad preparing for the start of the World Cup.

Memphis scored 13 goals during a productive first campaign at Camp Nou, and there is no question that he has improved as a player since turning out for Man United between 2015 and 2017.

Now 28, the forward has collected plenty of experience since his first spell at Old Trafford, and the Red Devils could decide to bring him back in what would be a cut-price deal.

Moussa Dembele (Lyon)

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Moussa Dembele has certainly not been at his best this season in terms of scoring form, only finding the back of the net on two occasions in 12 appearances in France's top flight.

Man United have been linked with the Frenchman over the last couple of transfer windows, and with his contract due to expire next June, there could be discussions over a January deal.

The 26-year-old has an impressive record for Lyon in terms of goals, netting 69 times in 156 appearances, while he scored 51 goals in 94 games for Celtic before making the move to France.

Dembele has also previously played in England for Fulham, finding the back of the net on 19 occasions in 64 games for the capital side earlier in this career, in addition to providing nine assists.

Jonathan David (Lille)

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Jonathan David will not be allowed to leave Lille in a cut-price deal in January, but he would certainly be a cheaper option to the likes of Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez.

A recent report claimed that a strong World Cup for the 22-year-old, who is representing Canada, could lead to Erik ten Hag's side making a move during the January window.

David has impressed for his French side this season, scoring nine goals and registering three assists in 15 Ligue 1 appearances, and there has been a host of speculation surrounding his future.

Boasting a record of 41 goals and eight assists in 111 games for Lille since his arrival from Gent in 2020, it is not too difficult to see why there is a lot of interest in his services.

David's performances for Canada in Qatar are likely to be watched closely by a number of clubs, and it would not be impossible for Man United to sign him in January, especially as Ronaldo's departure would save the Red Devils a lot of money on their wage bill.