MANCHESTER UNITED should prioritise other areas before signing Jadon Sancho, former coach Rene Meulensteen has warned.
A natural goalscorer such as Harry Kane is a better bet, the Dutchman believes, with the defence also a key area.
Reports suggest United are closing in on a £108million transfer, paid in installments, after agreeing personal terms with Borussia Dortmund star Sancho.
But attention is needed at the back with Dean Henderson set to challenge David De Gea for the No1 jersey next season and Kasper Schmeichel is a reported target.
Meulensteen wants to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pick a first-choice keeper and find a partner for Harry Maguire.
He told talkSPORT: “They first need to get clarity about the goalkeeping position because now there’s a debate about De Gea and the rumours with Schmeichel, but also Henderson is there.
“So that needs to be solved to make sure that’s clear. People are on De Gea’s back, but he’s still a very good goalkeeper; he’s had a few blips this season, he needs to sort that out.
“They also need someone next to Harry Maguire to strengthen that [defence].”
IN-SAN-ITY
United boss Solskjaer has appeared to identify attacking creativity as a vital area of improvement.
With Sancho the standout target, Jack Grealish and James Maddison were previously linked after Bruno Fernandes’ arrival.
However, Meulensteen, who worked at Old Trafford during two stints between 2001 and 2013, believes a clinical striker like Kane would be more useful.
The 56-year-old added: “They’re bringing Jadon Sancho in, but more than anything, I would have gone for a more prolific out-and-out striker, somebody like Harry Kane.
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“There is so much creativity coming from midfield with Fernandes, [Paul] Pogba, [Marcus] Rashford, [Anthony] Martial… they can all contribute to goalscoring.
“But [they need] somebody in the middle who’s going to score 25-plus goals. That will close the gap for United.”
He continued: “Jadon is the one that would feature best on the right, coming in and using his pace and trickery. It would be a great addition.
“But at the same time, United need more to really become a force to compete for a Premier League title.”
