The Red Devils have acquired proven frontmen in each of the last two summers, but how do the respective records of two talismanic No. 9s stack up?
In the summer of 2016, Manchester United found themselves in the market for a new leading man, with a suitable successor required to fill the boots once donned by Denis Law, Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Andy Cole and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was duly snapped up as a free agent, with the enigmatic Swede considered to boast both the ability and personality to thrive in the pressure cooker of Old Trafford.