United had a £91.3m (€100m) bid for Jadon Sancho rejected by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday; club looking at Ousmane Dembele, Watford's Ismaila Sarr, Real Madrid's Luka Jovic and free agent Edinson Cavani as alternatives
Saturday 3 October 2020 08:37, UK
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Manchester United continue to work on potential signings and insists the club are aware of his desire to strengthen the squad.
United's move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho is still up in the air as Deadline Day approaches, with the German club stating on several occasions the winger will not be leaving now that United missed their deadline of August 10 to agree a deal.
On Tuesday, United had a bid for Sancho worth up to £91.3m (€100m) rejected by Borussia Dortmund. The offer, which failed to meet either of Dortmund's criteria, was for an initial £73m, rising to up to £91.3m.
United are keen to sign a forward during this transfer window and, while their first choice is Sancho, they are looking at four alternatives - Ousmane Dembele, Ismaila Sarr, Luka Jovic and Edinson Cavani.
Donny van de Beek remains United's only major signing in this window after joining from Ajax on a five-year deal for a fee rising to £39m.
Asked if he felt just one signing was acceptable for United, Solskjaer said: "We've got players here that we believe in. The transfer window is still open for a little while and club has been working.
"They know my view and that we're here to strengthen, in the long-term as well.
"I'm not going to say what's acceptable for other clubs in this difficult period."
Solskjaer also backtracked on a previous comment he made in April, that he hoped United could "exploit" the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic in order to bring new players in.
He highlighted United's financial difficulties during the pandemic and insisted he is happy with the strength in depth of his current squad.
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"My wording during lockdown, exploit, was a bad word by me," Solskjaer said. "I meant there might be clubs and players out there that have to move because of the situation and it might be something interesting for us.
"At the moment, we've not had that. We've lost loads of money, as the other clubs have.
"We've got a big squad but the performances last season didn't warrant giving more of them more opportunities.
"It's a different scenario now, after two games, already I've seen some players, who didn't play too much last season, play really well."
Solskjaer has dismissed recent jibes between himself and Jose Mourinho as "a bit of fun", as the pair prepare to meet at Old Trafford on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Following United's 3-2 win over Brighton, Solskjaer made a joke in reference to Mourinho measuring the size of the goalposts before Tottenham's Europa League tie against Shkendija in Macedonia.
In response, the Spurs boss hit back with a suggestion that United's record of winning penalties meant they would prefer the box to be 22 yards.
"We are in strange times at the moment and sometimes you have got to have a bit of fun," Solskjaer said. "It was just a couple of innocent comments.
"Jose is a very charismatic coach and manager. You've enjoyed, in the media, talking to him and I've enjoyed watching him.
"I'm not one of these that really get into all these mind games. I've got ultimate respect for him as a coach, his results and everything he has given football.
"It's important that we have a bit of entertainment. Throughout the years, Jose has always given us some fantastic moments in his press conferences and on the pitch."
To understand the state of play with Jadon Sancho as time runs out, you have to look at the deal from three different points of view - Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and the player and his representatives.
Dharmesh Sheth, Sky Sports News reporter, speaking on The Transfer Show:
"On Thursday we were told Jadon Sancho and his representatives made it clear well before August 1 he wanted to take on the challenge of joining Manchester United.
"Borussia Dortmund said they would consider his sale on two conditions; either if United bid £108m or if the bid came in before August 1, a deadline which was later extended to August 10.
"On Tuesday, United had a bid for Sancho worth up to £91.3m (€100m) rejected by Borussia Dortmund. The offer, which failed to meet either of Dortmund's criteria, was for an initial £73m, rising to up to £91.3m."
Darren Fletcher has called on Manchester United to back boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the transfer market, following the team's 3-0 win in the Carabao Cup at Brighton.
Solskjaer steered United into the quarter-finals of the competition despite making 10 changes to his starting line-up for the second trip to Brighton in the space of four days, with Scott McTominay, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba on target.
However, Solskjaer, speaking to Sky Sports after the win, said there was no transfer news to report and, with Deadline Day looming on Monday, former United midfielder Fletcher says the club must add to the squad if they want to be successful this season.
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday October 5 with a feast of activity throughout the day involving the biggest names in football.
Some of the highlights to enjoy on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms:
You can also follow the stories on Sky Sports' digital platforms, with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
Here's all you need to know about Deadline Day and how to keep across all the deals and drama with Sky Sports.
