Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that Manchester United may struggle to sign their transfer targets in January.
United have had a mixed start to the season and are currently 10 points adrift of the top four, although they have a game in hand on most of the teams above them.
The Red Devils have been linked with several players when the transfer window reopens at the start of 2020.
Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, Leicester attacking midfielder James Maddison and Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho are among the players who are reportedly wanted by the 20-time English champions.
Ed Woodward has made funds available to Solskjaer as United attempt to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League.
But the former Cardiff and Molde boss insists he will not make any panic buys and has warned supporters that United may not be able to land their targets midway through the campaign.
“It is not about ‘x’ amount of money [we have to spend], it is about who do we think will be good for the club in the long-term, not just three or four months,” the United manager told reporters.
“Probably not because that is the thing – it is in January,” he continued when asked whether it would be easy to sign key targets in the mid-season window.
“Not many clubs want to sell players that they would otherwise want to keep in January. Maybe one or two could be a loan deal but that is not a big money thing, it is just to help the team. But we are getting players back and we are looking at what can be available for us.”
United travel to Bramall Lane to take on high-flying Sheffield United on Sunday, before a trip to Astana in the Europa League on Thursday.
READ MORE
Long read: The making of Jose Mourinho – how did he go from 'the translator' to 'the Special One’?
Ranked! Which Premier League team has the easiest fixtures up to New Year?
Freed from Maurizio Sarri, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic are becoming Chelsea's low-key success stories
