Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to bring in a top class striker to take the pressure off Wayne Rooney next season.

The Guardian says the over-reliance on Rooney has been the most discussed subject during Ferguson's conversations with his coaching staff since United were deposed as champions last Sunday. The manager is said to be perplexed about how to get more from Dimitar Berbatov and is keen to sign another forward, mindful about the ramifications if Rooney were to be injured.

Although fiercely protective of his players in public, Ferguson has complained in private that the team are more dependent on Rooney than they ever were on Cristiano Ronaldo because there is now a lower quality of replacement.

When Ronaldo was missing, United had Rooney, Berbatov and Carlos Tevez, but the strength in depth is now a cause for consternation despite United having seven strikers on their books.