Man Utd target January transfer solution to forward crisis as Solskjaer insists Romelu Lukaku had to be sold

Solskjaer on Lukaku: "He didn't want to be here"
AFP/Getty Images
James Robson @jamesrobsonES29 September 2019

Manchester United plan to fix their striker crisis in the January transfer window.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperately wants to recruit attacking reinforcements when the window reopens in the New Year – and could add both a striker and a playmaker.

United failed to strengthen up front during the summer despite the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

Now Solskjaer has made attack his priority after missing out on late moves for Paulo Dybala and Christian Eriksen in the final days of the summer window.

Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho remains his dream target, while United scouts have also been tasked with monitoring Leicester's James Maddison ahead of a potential move at the end of the season.

In Pictures | Man Utd's summer transfer business

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It is highly unlikely that either will be available in January – and neither are the clinical centre forward the United manager believes he desperately needs to salvage the season.

He said: “We let Alexis and Romelu go, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that it's forward that next time we're going to recruit. We're looking for some creativity and goals.

“There’s no point getting players in that you're not 100 percent sure about. When you get players in, you need the right ones that are going to stay here for a longer period and that's the long-term thinking we have to show.

“I cannot think, 'I need a player because this is my reputation'. No, it's the club.

“There were strikers (available in the summer), but they weren't the ones we wanted. We couldn't get the one we wanted.”

Moussa Dembele was on Solskjaer’s radar in the summer and the Lyon forward is at the centre of fresh links with a move to Old Trafford.

Mario Mandzukic, who United failed to secure a deal for on deadline day, is another option in January.

United head into Monday’s game against Arsenal having failed to score more than one goal in 17 of their last 20 matches.

Mason Greenwood is likely to make his first Premier League start of the season in that match due to injuries to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Despite being so light up front – and his side’s struggles for goals – Solskjaer has stood by his decision to allow Lukaku to join Inter Milan without replacing the Belgium international.

Lukaku has seen other racist incidents since transferring to Inter Milan.
Reuters

“It was time for Rom to go,” he added. “He knows that. He didn't want to be here.

“What is the point in having players that don't want to be here?

“We need to score more goals, definitely, and that's what I've said here. We're working on improving relationships, the patterns, the understanding and we've started in one end with the foundation, we've done great defensively, but we're not happy with the return going forward.

“You wouldn't mind scoring a few goals on set-plays and from midfield, of course. I think the forwards are always going to give us goals, so of course, we both expect and hope they're going to come.”

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