Ruud van Nistelrooy makes admission on Manchester United's £100m striker situation

Ruud van Nistelrooy has stressed Manchester United need a proven goalscorer if they are to become a force again.

United invested £108.5million in strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Johsua Zirkze in successive summer transfer windows yet the former has managed two goals in 11 appearances this term and Zirkzee has one goal in 16 United games.

In the Premier League, United have a -3 goal difference, having scraped nine goals in ten games. Under Van Nistelrooy's interim management, they have scored eight goals in three matches.

Former United manager Erik ten Hag wanted to sign Harry Kane last year but the United hierarchy refused to deal with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy before Bayern Munich bought Kane. Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres will be available for £63m next summer and the Sweden international has pillaged 23 goals in 15 games for the Portuguese champions this season.

READ MORE: What the United dressing room makes of Amorim

READ MORE: What Van Nistelrooy said at half-time vs PAOK

When Van Nistelrooy signed for United for a British record £19million in 2001, Sir Alex Ferguson already had Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham in the strikers department. Van Nistelrooy, scorer of 150 goals in 219 United games, all but admitted United currently lack a proven striker.

"Yeah, I agree that when you want to be a successful side in the Premier League and in Europe - and that is what the build is all about - you're going to need a certain amount of goals," Van Nistelrooy said. "That is clear, that is the effects in football.

"And that's why the best teams in the world have those players. At the moment, we have players who get a certain amount of goals or assists but, obviously, they are in an age