The January transfer window will shut at 11pm on Monday, February 3. Yes, you read that correctly, but how can it be the January window when it closes in February? It's a valid question and Manchester United will have slightly longer to conduct business than in previous years.
The Premier League have explained the change is to bring the top tier of English football in line with the major leagues across Europe, so every club can work to the same closing date.
The transfer window in Turkey closes on February 11 and Saudi Arabia's on January 30, but each European club has the same deadline, which means the market has been harmonised.
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United have just six days remaining in the transfer window and they are guaranteed to be active. Marcus Rashford's future still needs to be addressed, Patrick Dorgu could sign from Lecce, which would open the door for Tyrell Malacia to leave, and Ayden Heaven will arrive from Arsenal.
There should also be some loan deals arranged, but it's worth focusing on Rashford's situation because he's been the biggest story in this window after being dropped by Ruben Amorim.
The first sign that all was not right between Amorim and Rashford came when he was substituted off against Viktoria Plzen on December 12. Amorim didn't acknowledge Rashford as he came off the pitch and the academy graduate was dropped in the next game against Manchester City.
Rashford was briefly recalled to the United squad to face Newcastle on December 30 due to suspensions and injuries, however, he's continued to be absent from matchdays since.
Amorim was asked about Rashford's absence at Craven Cottage last week and his quotes were damning. "It’s the same, it’s always the same reason. The reason is the training, the way I see what footballers should do in training, in life, it’s every day, every detail," said Amorim.
"So if things don’t change, I will not change. It’s the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player. And you can see it today on the bench, we miss a little bit of pace to go and change the game, move some pieces.
"But I prefer it like that. I will put Vital [United's goalkeeper coach] on before I put a player on that don’t give the maximum every day. So I will not change in that department."
Although United reiterated the observation was applicable to all players and not just Rashford, fans made their own conclusions and there needs to a resolution to the players' situation.
Rashford has been linked with Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham and West Ham. In his interview with Henry Winter last month, he expressed his desire for a "new challenge", although beggars can't be choosers and simply an exit to any club might do for Rashford in the next few days.
Earlier in the window, a United member of staff described Casemiro as a "valued squad member" and George Orwell's quote of "the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears" came to mind, as the Brazilian has slipped down the midfield pecking order with Amorim in charge.
Casemiro has been overlooked for Toby Collyer at important moments in the last month and the 32-year-old will be allowed to go in the final days of the window if a suitable offer emerges.
Malacia will also be allowed to depart, providing a deal for Dorgu can be agreed, and there is a growing expectation that a breakthrough in negotiations with Lecce is close.
Dorgu is naturally left-sided but can also play on the right. Amorim's system heavily relies on wing-backs, but Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have predominantly operated in those positions since his appointment from Sporting Lisbon and neither have looked a natural fit.
In terms of further outgoings, United are looking to secure loan moves for Dan Gore and Harry Amass, as the Manchester Evening News reported at the beginning of the window.
Gore picked up a freak shoulder injury last summer and sustained a separate, small issue in October, which means his season has been stop-start, but he'll be back at peak fitness after captaining the Under-21s in three successive games and deserves a stroke of luck with his next move.
Amass' situation is slightly different because he's three years younger than Gore. It wouldn't be a disaster if he didn't leave on loan before the deadline, but United prepared Amass for a loan spell with a conditioning programme to increase muscle when it became clear he wasn't in Erik ten Hag's plans and it seems the best option for his development.
Elsewhere, the signing of centre-back Ayden Heaven from Arsenal should be made official before the deadline. The MEN reported on Tuesday that United were close to striking an agreement to land Heaven, although the deal was not finalised and there was still some paperwork to complete.
Sources indicated that Heaven would be considered as a first-team signing, which raises the prospect of the 18-year-old being involved with Amorim's squad for the rest of the season.
Heaven is a naturally left-footed centre-back, which is significant. United submitted bids to Everton to sign Jarrad Branthwaite last summer and Godwill Kukonki has been promoted to first-team squads/training by Amorim, so Heaven fits that profile and that is why he was targeted.
Jonny Evans, another left-footed centre-back, is out of contract at the end of the season and United are building for the future of Amorim's system by luring Heaven to Manchester.
How Heaven settles remains to be seen, though. Despite being seen as a first-team addition, Heaven only celebrated his 18th birthday in September and he was given his first-team Arsenal debut a month later, so he'll arrive with bags of scope to improve and will have plenty to learn.
