Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes the club needs to buy a new striker next month, newspapers have reported.

Though Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy is among the best strikers in the premier league, his partnership with Uruguayan Diego Forlan failed to trouble Chelsea on Sunday as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

"The biggest disappointment is we didn't score at Chelsea and I feel maybe the manager needs to buy a striker in the New Year," Keane was quoted as saying in The Sun on Tuesday.

"We're a bit short up front at the moment and if one or two are injured we could struggle.

"I am sure the manager is already taking care of that, particularly as we are looking to win the Premiership, the FA Cup and the Champions League."

United's lack of bite is partly due to injuries to playmaker Paul Scholes and Norwegian forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has often filled the right midfield slot left vacant by David Beckham's move to Real Madrid.

Doubts remain, however, about the effectiveness of Forlan, bought from Argentina's Independiente in January 2002 for 7.5 million pounds.

Despite five goals in his last eight games for United, the Uruguayan's league strike rate of seven goals in 51 games is not one to makes opposition defenders tremble.

Yet for a club with a wealth of attacking midfielders like Scholes, Solskjaer, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Bellion, United have no-one else to partner Van Nistelrooy up front.

Keane is also aware that Chelsea, who have spent 111 million pounds on new players since Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich took over in July, may well return to the market when the transfer window opens in January.

"We know it's going to be tighter than ever this season," Keane said. "And who is to say Chelsea won't go out and spend even more money in January?"

Chelsea, top of the table after Sunday's win, have become the bookmakers' favourites for the title, ahead of United and Arsenal in what looks a three-horse race.