Manchester United handed £24m striker warning

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been warned that Robert Lewandowski won’t come cheap if he wishes to pursue the striker in January.

The Red Devils were linked with a move for the Polish international forward during the summer transfer window, and Ferguson took a closer look at the 24-year-old on Wednesday night when Borussia Dortmund travelled to play Manchester City in the Champions League.

Whilst the former Lech Poznan star failed to get on the scoresheet at the Etihad Stadium, his performance will have done little to detract from a potential move from the Scottish boss, although Lewandowski will set the club back in the region of £24 million, according to the Daily Star.

“If Manchester United want him, they will have to spend big because he is so valuable to Dortmund,” a source told the newspaper.

“He is one of the best strikers in Europe now and won’t come cheap.”

Manchester United already have a number of attacking options at their disposal, with Robin Van Persie joining Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez at Old Trafford in the summer.

However, Mexican hitman Hernandez is being linked with a move to Real Madrid, and his exit could open the door for Lewandowski to make a Manchester United move.