Manchester United should be targeting Harry Kane over Jadon Sancho, says Paul Scholes, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer urged to launch a raid on Tottenham instead of one on Borussia Dortmund.
The Red Devils are still working on trying to bring one England international onto their books.
Discussions with Dortmund when it comes to Sancho have been difficult, with patience starting to wear thin at Old Trafford.
It could, however, be that an exciting 20-year-old winger is added to Solskjaer’s ranks before the next deadline passes.
Scholes believes United are wasting too much time and effort in bolstering the wrong areas of their squad, with a prolific striker of more use to them at present than another creative wide man.
The Red Devils legend told BT Sport on the approach that he would be taking to recruitment: "I just think we already have three forwards, or wide men/centre-forwards that are very similar to Sancho, possibly not quite as good as him but potentially I think they could be.
"I think if that's Harry Kane you're talking about now, I'd be more desperate to sign him than Sancho at this stage, although don't get me wrong, as I said I think he's a top-quality footballer.
"I just think United need a number nine, a real centre-forward, a real goalscorer and Harry Kane would be that man for me.
"Then again you have to think what Ole would want. He doesn't seem like he wants that type of centre-forward at the minute, he's got [Odion] Ighalo who is more of a number nine, but he seems to be using him in the last 15-20 minutes when things aren't going quite that well.
"So maybe Ighalo could be an option at a cheaper price just as a squad filler. But Sancho would improve any team."
As well as urging United to consider a move for Kane, Scholes feels Solskjaer needs to be reinforcing his backline by bringing in another commanding defender to sit alongside club captain Harry Maguire.
The 11-time Premier League title winner added: "I don't think there's a desperate, desperate need [for a centre-back].
"I'd like to see a centre-half come in, a dominating centre-half next to Maguire.
"I think he needs someone who's strong and has got pace, real pace, next to him, like a Rio Ferdinand or Jaap Stam, that type of player.
"I think [Victor] Lindelof and [Eric] Bailly can be backup but I think a centre-half and the addition of a centre-forward and [Jadon] Sancho, then I think United are well on their way to challenging."
United finished third in the top flight at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, booking them a place in next season’s Champions League, while they are also safely through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
