Solskjaer to get £100m kitty for January transfer window

Cape Town - Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will reportedly have a transfer kitty of around £100 million in January, following a meeting with Ed Woodward this week.

It's understood the pair recently met at Carrington to discuss transfer targets and the Old Trafford boss was pleased to hear the club's powerbrokers are now prepared to back him again in the transfer market.

Solskjaer paid a world-record £80m fee for a defender when he signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City during the summer.

A further £70 million was splurged to recruit right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace and winger Daniel James from Swansea City, with one eye firmly on the future.

Solskjaer admitted earlier this week he needs to bring in a new striker after failing to replace Romelu Lukaku in the close season.

Juventus' veteran forward Mario Mandzukic is reportedly back on the Red Devils' radar, although his demands for £300 000-per-week were a deal-breaker for United the last time they spoke.

The Manchester giants also like the look of Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele, with suggestions a fee of around £90 million would be enough to secure the talented France international.

Solskjaer, however, wants four new faces but knows realistically it won't be until next summer before he can purge his squad yet again.

Bosses at the Theatre of Dreams will give the Norwegian all the tools he needs but Woodward has also explained the need for the club to keep a tight rein on their wage bill - currently the highest in the Premier League at nearly £300 million per year.

They do expect midfielder Nemanja Matic to move on and further financial wiggle room for the manager will certainly come if they can shift forward Alexis Sanchez, currently on a season-long loan at Inter Milan and earning a colossal £505 000-per-week in total.

Alongside a new striker, Solskjaer told his employers he still feels he needs a new left-back and two midfielders, which would easily take United's spending since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 beyond the £1 billion mark.

- TeamTalk Media