Manchester United are reportedly ‘ready to take advantage’ of a proven Premier League striker being available for transfer in the January window, despite clear ‘red flags’ being raised over a deal.

The Red Devils have been using a mix of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha as a central striker so far this season due to the ongoing absence of fellow big-money signing Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenia international remains troubled by a shin injury that has seen him chalk up just 206 minutes of action so far this campaign, while there is even talk he could be on the move in January.

Either way, United’s lack of striker options has been badly exposed in what’s been a disastrous first quarter of the season, with the Red Devils currently sitting 17th in the Premier League table.

They did, at least, snap their nine-game winless run with a stunning comeback win over Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, but former Old Trafford scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that a move for ‘Jean-Philippe Mateta is being considered due to his availability’, as the club ‘weighs up their options’.

The Crystal Palace star’s contract situation and impressive record since he moved to England four years ago has him high on their list, along with the likes of Ivan Toney and Leeds star Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Man Utd ‘tempted’ by Mateta move 

Mateta is seen as a bit of an easy fix to United’s striker struggles, given his desire to leave Palace, who are also keen to cash in on a player whose contract will run out in the summer of 2027.

However, there are some doubts over whether he is the right fit for Man Utd, with Brown stating: “Man United will be exploring deals for a number of strikers because they need to strengthen.

“Jean-Philippe Mateta will be one they’re looking at because of his situation at Crystal Palace, they’ll be keeping an eye on what happens there and ready to take advantage.

“His contract situation is interesting, he’s not going to sign, so will he leave in January or at the end of the season?

“If they are going to let him go in January, Man United could be tempted, but I do think there are some concerns about whether he’s the right fit for what they want.

“I’ve always said he’s a Crystal Palace player, he suits that type of club where he can be the main man and maybe they cut him some slack when he’s not quite up to scratch.

“You don’t get that type of time and patience at a club like Man United, there’s more pressure, so will he deal with that? Plus, I do have a few questions about his attitude.

“This business with pushing to leave Crystal Palace raises a few red flags for me, but whether it will be a problem for Man United, we’ll see.”

Mateta’s current value, as per Transfermarkt, is around £25million (€30m), although Palace could recoup a little less than that – if proven England centre-back Marc Guehi’s £20m move to Man City back last January is anything to go by.

Either way, United’s search for a new No.9 will be one to keep a close eye on heading into the winter window.