Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is prepared to wait until next summer to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.
United are light on attacking options after Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez having joined Inter Milan.
Reports had suggested Solskjaer could bring in free agent striker Fernando Llorente.
But the Norwegian does not want to sign a replacement and accepts it will be difficult to lure top-class talent in January.
Instead he will wait until next summer to bring Manchester City academy graduate Sancho to Old Trafford, according to the London Evening Standard.
The Red Devils attempted to sign the 19-year-old this summer but were swiftly rejected by Dortmund.