Target list shortening? Huntelaar dilemma for Ferguson...

With reports claiming Benzema could be sold to a rival and a lack of obvious transfer targets and fierce competition for signatures, Ferguson's list of potential summer signings could well be shortening.

In the wake of Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid, it would appear the last thing United need right now is another slow forward. The previous summer Ferguson signed Berbatov, as skilful as he is, his lack of pace is a rather obvious weakness. The champions have just sold one of the strongest runners with the ball in the game, conventional logic dictates that in a bid to retain a measure of continuity it is of paramount importance that Ferguson finds a striker with similar strong running qualities coupled with goal-scoring ability to augment his severly depleted strike-force.

As the search for potential replacements goes on, United supporters' attention has naturally been firmly focused on who will replace the World Player of The Year, the name of Huntelaar has been cropping up in reports linking him with a move to United, after just one season in Spain we are told the former Ajax striker is up for sale, which could be viewed as damning if it were not for the fact that reports also claim Florentino Perez has thrown a hissy-fit when sanctioning the sale of Madrid's Dutch contingent en block.

Like his team-mate Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar isn't blessed with pace, but his goal-scoring record is pretty impressive, however, unlike his fellow countryman most of his goals were plundered in the relatively poor Dutch league. Hutelaar's goals-scoring record in the Champions League and on the international stage isn't anything to shout about, he's not a regular starter for the Netherlands.

On the fact it, despite his goal-scoring record in the Netherlands it would appear Huntelaar is not the right option for Ferguson right now, not when you factor in Berbatov and his lack of pace.

If Fergie makes a move for Huntelaar, despite whatever reasons the manager gives it will be the wrong move from a squad point of view. Fergie could play Berbatov and Huntelaar in the same starting eleven, but the lack of pace would make it easier for opposition managers' to plot against United from a tactical perspective.

Quite who will score the goals this coming season for United is a good question to ask, at this juncture we are no nearer answering that question, but it is one that many fans will be asking for the remainder of the summer.

At this moment in time Ferguson and United stand accused of failing to plan ahead in the event of Ronaldo and Tevez leaving. The latter was wholly avoidable – but the fans accept Ronaldo's move was inevitable. Failure to plan and act decisively could well cost United very dearly this coming season.