Manchester United are ready to test Liverpool's determination to retain Fernando Torres in January after being encouraged that the Spanish forward could be prised away from Anfield.
Real Madrid forwards Karim Benzema and Kaká are also on the Old Trafford club's radar with the club's owners, the Glazer family, acutely aware of the necessity to replace Wayne Rooney with another stellar name should the England forward leave.
Despite Sir Alex Ferguson's insistence that United will "leave the door open" for Rooney to reconsider his decision to leave, plans are already being drawn up to replace the former Everton striker if he is sold during the transfer window.
Although the prospect of enticing Torres from United's century-old rivals is likely to prompt acrimony and fury on the red half of Merseyside, the 26 year-old has emerged as a genuine target for Ferguson.
There is a growing perception within the game that the player is disenchanted at Liverpool and desperate to move elsewhere.
No player has moved directly between English football's two most successful clubs since the unheralded forward Phil Chisnall left Old Trafford for Anfield in 1964.
Paul Ince and Michael Owen have since represented both clubs, receiving condemnation from the supporters of their former employers in the wake of their moves, while Ferguson blocked Gabriel Heinze's attempts to leave United for Liverpool in 2007.
United are likely to face stiff competition from Chelsea and Manchester City should they pursue a move for Torres.
However, the impact and controversy generated by such a move is likely to be diminished should Rooney complete a potentially more explosive transfer from United to City.
Ferguson actively pursued Torres during the summers of 2006 and 2007 while the player was with Atletico Madrid, but with United moving for Carlos Tévez in 2007, Torres instead completed a £26.5 million transfer to Liverpool.
The complexities of United moving for Torres are rooted in the bitter rivalry between the two clubs, but the change of management and ownership at Liverpool in recent months has raised the prospect of a remarkable deal which would have been unthinkable during the management of Rafael Benítez.
Ferguson has already been told by the Glazers that Rooney's future is in his hands.
Similarly, any funds raised from his sale will be ploughed directly back into luring another A-list player to the club.
Kaká's failure to justify his £56 million transfer fee at Real has led to the Spanish club making it known that they would be open to offers for the Brazilian forward.
Rooney's reluctance to move to Spain would scupper United's hopes of a player trade, but Ferguson is a long-term admirer of the former AC Milan forward who, despite being 28, would be viewed as an immediate replacement for Rooney and a player capable of matching the England international's global appeal.
Kaká famously rejected a move to Manchester City in Jan 2009, opting instead to leave the San Siro for Real, but the player's struggles in Spain would now make him more receptive to a move to England.
Ferguson failed to thwart Real's move for Benzema last season, when the forward left Lyon for the Bernabeu following United's refusal to meet the French club's £35 million valuation.
The United manager made further inquiries as to Benzema's availability this summer, but the 22 year-old opted instead to remain in Spain.
Torres would tick several boxes for United should Ferguson be successful in his attempt to lure him from Anfield.
His signing would solve the goalscoring conundrum caused by the Rooney saga, but it would also signal a much-needed charisma boost for United at a time when the club and their owners require an emphatic response to the impending loss of their best player.
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