Man Utd want new 'clinical' striker AND Jadon Sancho as Solskjaer makes transfer window admission

Manchester United via Getty Imag

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has set his sights on a predatory striker after admitting for the first time that Manchester United came up short in the transfer window.

The Norwegian has been left desperately light in attack after sanctioning the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez this summer.

He is prepared to wait until the end of the season to secure long-term target Jadon Sancho – but confirmed his intention to bolster his forward line with an old-fashioned poacher.

The United manager has put his faith in Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and 17-year-old Mason Greenwood, despite none of that trio ever managing to score 20 league goals in a season at senior level.

“It’s about taking the chances,” he said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Southampton. “We have created enough in the first three games to have nine points so we have to be more clinical.

“At the moment we are creating, but of course you are always looking for someone to improve us and we did and we were looking. And as I said on the way back from tour, we were still looking for one replacement for Romelu if he went.

“We are one down to be fair, but we didn’t just find the right one. We didn’t find the answer that we wanted.”

In Pictures | Man Utd's summer transfer business

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United abandoned a move for Paulo Dybala over the Juventus forward’s salary demands and concerns about his motivation to move to Old Trafford.

Sancho has long-been the leading attacking target, but the Borussia Dortmund winger is not the prolific goal-scorer Solskjaer is determined to add to his side.

EPA

“I do like the one who scores scrappy goals in and around the box, a young Ole or something,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a 1m95 centre-forward. It could be sometimes if we want to play with two up, maybe a different type to what we have.”

Greenwood is in the frame to start at St Mary’s after Martial was ruled out with a muscle injury.

Solskjaer is backing the teenager to have an impact in his breakthrough season.

“He is a natural footballer,” he added. “He is enjoying his time on the pitch. He comes alive when you get closer to the goal, which is great to see in finishing sessions, and he is always the one who ends up in the last two. He always scores the goals.

Greenwood available for £4.5m.
Getty Images

“He is not scoring scrappy goals, I’ve got to say. He’s got proper goal-scorer goals and he also has to learn that scrappy bit inside the six-yard box and stick your head in where it hurts - but he has got all the range of finishes.”

Solskjaer claims Martial and Rashford are also ready to prove they can take on the goal-scoring burden.

“If not I would not just have them,” he said. “We would have signed someone else or kept someone else. We believe in them definitely.

“I think both of them of enjoy responsibility and enjoy the trust, so it’s give and take here. We trust you, but you’ve got to give us back.

AFP/Getty Images

“They have shown me they are ready for that.”

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