Former Manchester United captain urges club to sign Alexis Sanchez as Jose Mourinho targets three strikers

The move for Antoine Griezmann appeared to have hit a standstill on Thursday after United cooled their interest

Sanchez is a target for Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester City (Getty)

Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson has urged Jose Mourinho to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal as the club target three out and out strikers.

United’s interest in Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann cooled on Thursday as Mourinho shifted his priorities to a main striker, with the Frenchman tweeting “now more than ever”, hinting that he would stay at the La Liga side.

Robson, who is still heavily involved at United as a club ambassador, believes Mourinho should follow Sir Alex Ferguson’s example when it comes to finding his next 20-goal-a-season striker.

Ferguson signed Robin van Persie as he entered his final year of his contract with the Gunners, with the Dutchman’s goals firing United to the title, and Robson believes Sanchez is “100 per cent guaranteed” to have the same effect.

“His character is right, he is a tough player, really skilful, he works really hard and works hard. He can score goals and create goals,” Robson told the Mirror.

“When you put all that package into one, he’s exactly the type that we would like here.

“Remember he has played at a club like Arsenal, where you’ve got to be able to handle pressure.

“I think he’s 100 per cent guaranteed.”

Sanchez is not currently understood to be on United’s radar, with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata and Torino’s Andrea Belotti currently their main focus.

The lack of available options has made those three players the front-runners for the No 9 spot at Old Trafford with Mourinho needing to be persuaded to come around on Lukaku, having previously sold him while at Chelsea.

Belotti is understood to have a release clause of £84m – the same as Griezmann – while AC Milan may have stolen a march on Morata, who is also interesting Chelsea.

Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Gareth Bale are all also on United’s radar but they are felt as slightly more ambitious moves.