Sir Alex Ferguson hung his head as the referee blew the final whistle yesterday at Stamford Bridge. That said it all, as he saw his former ‘champions’ slump to their 7th league defeat of the season. His successor, David Moyes had nowhere to hide, as he saw his team dismantled by Chelsea’s Samuel Eto’o, putting their top 4 hopes into serious doubt.

As his team have failed to step up, Moyes is looking for new faces, in an attempt to arrest the slide and enforce damage limitation. Opportunities have opened up for him just in time, as the availability of Juan Mata and Yohan Cabaye has been written about in recent days.

Newcastle United are in advanced talks with midfielder Remy Cabella, which can pave the way for Cabaye’s exit from Tyneside. He’s everything which is missing from United’s midfield at the moment. He could very well be the saving grace, providing the creativity in midfield and possessing the talent of turning a game on its head.

Another player of his calibre is Mata, who is struggling at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho. They are not highly keen on selling Mata, but their stance could change if United came calling, as they eye the bigger picture in this deal. Chelsea are prepared to sell him for a rumoured £35 million to United, as they are hopeful that this helps their standing when they go about chasing Wayne Rooney once again in the summer. A player of his quality could very well provide the spark which is virtually absent in United’s midfield this season.

As the likes of Marourne Fellaini have failed to show up, it could very well be the chance of the next signing to make himself count, and take United to where they deserve to be in the table.