Manchester United allegedly admit defeat in their pursuit of Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
During the summer transfer window, incoming head coach Erik ten Hag eventually settled on using Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Cristiano Ronaldo as his options down the middle of the attack.
However, the high-profile trio have netted just seven times between them in the Premier League, with Rashford netting over half of those strikes and a quarter of them in one game against Arsenal at the start of September.
As a result, United have only scored 18 goals from their 13 games in the top flight, leading to Ten Hag being open to signing a new forward in January.
Speculation also persists regarding the future of Ronaldo who, despite starting the last four games in all competitions, would prefer to leave Old Trafford.
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According to reports, that has led to the English giants identifying Choupo-Moting as a surprise alternative in the final third, aware that the Cameroonian's contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
Nevertheless, Sky Sport Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenberg has dismissed United's chances of tempting Choupo-Moting back to England.
Despite having spent the first years of his Bayern career as backup to Robert Lewandowski, the 33-year-old is now regarded as a key man at the Allianz Arena.
Choupo-Moting has remarkably netted in seven successive matches in all competitions, contributing nine goals and two assists since October 16.
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As well as netting against Barcelona and Inter Milan in the Champions League, Choupo-Moting scored a crucial double as Bayern recorded a 3-2 victory at Hertha Berlin last weekend.
While United are said to have expected the veteran to be interested in a return to England where he has previously represented Stoke City, Plettenberg says that the player intends on remaining at Bayern.
Contract talks will take place after the World Cup with Cameroon due to face fixtures with Switzerland, Serbia and Brazil starting from November 24.
Despite his previous status at Bayern, Choupo-Moting has taken his record to 28 goals and nine assists from just 72 appearances in all competitions, many of them coming from the substitutes' bench.
Darren Plant
