Should Erik ten Hag be looking to pick the brains of anyone when it comes to being a striker at Manchester United, he could do a lot worse than look to Robin van Persie.

United boss Ten Hag took Van Persie to an upmarket Chinese restaurant – Tattu – in the city centre on Monday night, along with their agent Kees Vos, with the pair seen braving the cold as they chatted outside following their meal.

Van Persie is spending time back at United’s Carrington training ground to develop his coaching ahead a step towards management, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Erik ten Hag (left) and Robin van Persie (right) were pictured after going for dinner on Monday

Along with their agent Kees Vos (right), the pair were seen in conversation following a meal

Van Persie (right) is understood to be developing his coaching at Carrington, with Ten Hag supporting a close friend, before taking the step into management

Ten Hag is looking to bolster his attacking options with United having terminated Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract by mutual consent at the start of the World Cup and there are few more appropriate sounding boards than Van Persie.

One of those targets is Cody Gakpo, of PSV Eindhoven, and Van Persie, a fellow Dutchman, knows Gakpo’s game inside out having tracked him as Feyenoord’s assistant manager.

Wrapped up in thick coats and wooly winter hats, Ten Hag and Van Persie walked and talked and no doubt strikers at Old Trafford were on the mind.

Ten Hag (Ieft) may well have been picking Van Persie’s (middle) brains over striker targets

It’s understood that £50million-rated Gakpo is a leading target, while Ten Hag is an admirer of Benfica striker Gonçalo Ramos, who took Ronaldo’s place in Portugal’s starting line-up at the World Cup, before their elimination to Morocco.

Speaking about the prospect of signing a replacement for Ronaldo next month, Ten Hag said: ‘Yes but only when we find the right player.

‘We do everything in our power. We are doing research on every opportunity and we do everything we can if that opportunity is there to contract them.’

Gakpo has an impressive haul of 13 goals and 17 assists for PSV already this season and he has drawn comparisons to Van Persie, something which he is thrilled with.

Man United will hold talks over a proposed move for Cody Gakpo, who is a leading target

The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo last month has left United requiring another goalscorer

‘He is not really an out-and-out striker; he can play as a No 10, on the [left] wing, as a false striker or on the right-wing. He can play in those four positions in the front,’ Van Persie explained to BT Sport earlier this season.

‘He has a good physique. He is strong, fast and can dribble. He is an all-round player.’

Van Persie knows what it takes to score goals at Old Trafford having bagged 58 goals across three seasons, also bagging the 2012-13 Premier League title.