Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not looking for any quick fixes in the January transfer market and will resist the urge to adopt short-term thinking just to bolster Manchester United's Champions League push.
There have been signs of improvement from United in the month of December, Solskjaer's side winning six matches across all competitions and climbing to fifth in the Premier League ahead of the New Year's Day meeting with Arsenal.
The club's injury list is shortening, too, with Paul Pogba back in the fold, yet it still appears likely there will be at least one new arrival at Old Trafford in the next month.
Although Solskjaer's side have already missed out on one potential "long-term" option after Salzburg teenager Erling Haaland instead joined Borussia Dortmund, they will be looking out for similar players who can offer more than merely a short, sharp impact.
"I'm a striker. By nature, I've always been optimistic. I'm optimistic we can keep players fit," Solskjaer said ahead of facing Arsenal. "And if the right ones become available, we do have the resources, and I do have the backing from the board.
"But it's all about getting the right ones - it has to be. There's no point bringing someone else in now just for the sake of three or four months.
"That could disrupt the chemistry in the group. The chemistry in the group is really good. It has to be the right type, it has to be a good investment for the club for the long term."
The manager believes the easing of an injury crisis has already ably boosted his squad heading into January, though.
"If we can keep this lot fit and if we can keep on improving, one or two additions [could make a difference]," he said. "It's competition for places - that's what you've got to deal with at this club.
"We haven't had enough because we've had so many injuries, but now we're getting more and more players fit, so I've got to leave players out that I maybe should have played."
Even before Haaland's swift ascent this term, United were linked with strikers after Romelu Lukaku left for Inter.
But Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood are all now firing in attack, meaning Solskjaer believes the club were right not to invest before the campaign.
He said: "We always believed Anthony and Marcus were going to score goals, but Mason's filled a big void. He's chipped in with goals. I'm not worried about goals from the forwards.
"Romelu's a good striker and he'll always score goals, but it was time for him to move on and we didn't find the right one outside of our club. We had Mason."
