MANCHESTER UNITED could use a helping hand from some former players after their dismal start to the season.
And with SunSport exclusively reporting that the Red Devils are plotting a return for David De Gea, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
The 13-time Premier League champions have a history of bringing stars back to Old Trafford.
Jonny Evans has already made a shock return this season, while Cristiano Ronaldo spectacularly came back in 2021 and Paul Scholes even came out of RETIREMENT to don the shirt once again.
And there are plenty of ex-Man Utd players out there playing at the top level that could do a job for Erik ten Hag's struggling side.
SunSport has collated a starting XI of former players that could return to try and re-track their off the rails season.
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De Gea would obviously slot in between the sticks with the club already looking at bringing him back to fill in for Andre Onana during the African Cup of Nations in January.
While Evans would line up at centre-back having begun his second spell at the club this season after seven years away.
But it's three different names that would make up the rest of the back five for the former stars XI.
Matteo Darmian is now a regular starter for Inter Milan and has won five trophies since joining the Italian outfit – he could slot in at right-back.
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While Marcos Rojo could fill in at left-back after excelling during his time back in Argentina with Boca Juniors, even now captaining the Buenos Aires club.
Completing a centre-back partnership Sir Alex Ferguson would be proud of, Chris Smalling could play alongside Evans.
Smalling joined Roma in 2020 where he has been a regular feature ever since, and would slot in seamlessly having already partnered Evans 68 times before.
In midfield Marouane Fellaini would do a job returning to Manchester after four years in China.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan could play alongside the Belgian after his success away from Old Trafford with Inter Milan and Roma.
And it'd be free agent Jesse Lingard who would be the final piece in an attack-minded midfield trio.
Lingard is still looking for a permanent home after a period training with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq as a free agent.
But in his last 31 Premier League starts he's registered an impressive 14 direct goal involvements.
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It's up top where things get interesting for Man Utd as there is a plethora of former Red Devils who have been tearing it up away from the Theatre of Dreams.
Alexis Sanchez failed to have an impact at the club when he arrived from Arsenal, but a second chance could see the Chilean thrive in the twilight of his career.
Since leaving Man Utd he's bagged 39 goals for Inter Milan and Marseille – that's almost eight times the amount of times he found the back of the net for the Premier League side.
Cristiano Ronaldo making a third debut for the club that catapulted him into stardom would also seem like a no brainer in this XI.
The worldwide superstar is currently leading the scoring charts in the Saudi Pro League with 11 goals in just nine games.
Finally a second spell for Romelu Lukaku would be the cherry on top of a threatening looking attack.
Lukaku is still on Chelsea's books, but has netted seven times in nine games on loan at Roma this term.
The Blues are looking to get the expensive asset off their books after their £97.5m blunder three summers ago.
Other players who have excelled away from Old Trafford include Danny Welbeck at Brighton, Javier Hernandez at LA Galaxy and Memphis Depay at Atletico Madrid.
While former Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor has even suggested that Antonio Valencia would be better than ten Hag's current options despite the Ecuadorian retiring two years ago.
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Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "I was saying yesterday and some of the fans were agreeing with me. Man Utd fans.
"Imagine Man Utd with Antonio Valencia now down that right hand side getting past the player, whipping it in, [Rasmus] Hojlund scores. They don't get enough crosses in for him."
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