Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made such an impression in his first few weeks at Old Trafford that senior sources now regard taking up the option on the second year of his contract as a formality.
And they even wonder whether the striker, 35 next month, might play on beyond 2018.
Ibrahimovic's affect in the dressing room, and in training, has been likened to the arrival of Eric Cantona but what has most impressed the United hierarchy is the sheer physical prowess of the Swede.
When he took his fitness test prior to signing his one-year deal- which has an option for 2017-2018 – Ibrahimovic asked what the current records were for each individual test.