Gary Neville has insisted that Manchester United need to sign a striker before the end of the transfer window.

United fell to their first defeat of the Premier League season as they lost 2-1 to Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, despite taking the lead through Juan Mata.

Neville believes that the Red Devils need to add a quality forward and a keeper, should David de Gea leave the club over the next few days, as his absence from the starting lineup continued at Swansea.

"They won't just wake up and think, 'Oh, we've lost a game, we're going to panic and sign four players' – they've probably always wanted to bring in players – but watching them, they need players," Neville told Sky Sports News.

"They need to sort the goalkeeping situation out. That is a big problem. If De Gea leaves and they don't get another goalkeeper in. Centre-forward, goalkeeper – both ends of the pitch. If [Javier] Hernandez leaves, they've got one striker. I'm not classing [Marouane] Fellaini as a striker. They've got one striker in Wayne Rooney.

"They've got the goalkeeper [Sergio] Romero and I said before the game the jury's out, I think today it's even more out. From Manchester United's point of view, they have to resolve the centre-forward and the goalkeeper [situation] in the next two days. Hopefully it means they keep De Gea and they sign a striker. But I'd be absolutely staggered if there wasn't a striker brought in. It has to happen."

United are fifth in the Premier League after four games this season.