Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been assured he can spend in January after Manchester United missed out on Erling Braut Haaland.

And the Norwegian insists he is ‘optimistic’ about the transfer window, despite seeing his leading target head to Borussia Dortmund.

United pulled out of the running for Haaland after baulking at the conditions demanded the teenager’s agent Mino Raiola, which are believed to have included a buyout clause and a percentage of his sell-on value.

Solskjaer wants to bring in two midfielders and a striker between now and next season, with Jadon Sancho a dream target.

But United are adamant they will not panic-buy midway through the campaign, with Solskjaer prepared to wait to land top-quality additions.

He plans to sign at least three new players over the next two windows and said: “I'm always an optimist. I'm a striker by nature and I've always been an optimist.

“I'm optimistic we can keep players fit and if the right ones become available we do have the resources and I do have the backing from the board, but it's also about getting the right ones. It has to be.

“There's no point suddenly bringing someone else in now for the sake of three or four months if that can disrupt any good feeling or chemistry in the group, because the chemistry in the group is really good. It has to be the right type and it has to be a good investment for the long term as well.”

Senior Old Trafford sources have urged caution about the prospects of recruiting in January, but with Solskjaer already drawing up his wanted list for the next 12 months, United’s transfer plans will begin from now.

If any leading targets become available next month, Ed Woodward has told Solskjaer he can sign them sooner rather than later.

United’s manager added: “If we can keep this lot fit and if we can keep on improving, one addition and if you get two additions, of course, that will be competition for places.

“That's what you've got to deal with at this club. We haven't had enough because we've had so many injuries, but now we're getting more and more players fit and I've got to leave players out that I maybe should have played.”

Haaland was seen as an ideal replacement for Romelu Lukaku.

But Solskjaer believes Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood have already filled that void.

“We always believed Anthony and Marcus were going to score goals, but Mason has filled a big void, he's chipped in with goals,” he said. “So I'm not worried about goals from centre-forwards. Mason's on eight now. Marcus I don't know – 16. Anthony has quite a few.

“Romelu's a good striker and he'll always score goals, but it was time for him to move on. We didn't find the right one outside our club, but we had Mason.”