The Dutchman felt his goalscoring options for this season “should have been enough”.
But with seven games to play in the Premier League, United have just 45 goals, the fewest of the top 10 teams.
Asked at a news conference how vital it will be to bring a proven scorer to Old Trafford this summer, Ten Hag said: “I think it would help.”
Ideally, he wants more than one strong challenger for every role on the team.
Ten Hag added: “You need more options. You need double positioning in every position.
“Some positions we didn’t have the choices this season – the striker position, the left-back position – and that has a negative impact on the results.”
United, who travel to face Bournemouth on Saturday, signed Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta for £72m on a five-year deal last August.
The 21-year-old is the club’s top scorer in his debut campaign with 13 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions.
England striker Marcus Rashford has netted eight times in 38 games while France international Anthony Martial, out since groin surgery in January, has scored twice in 19 appearances.
“In this plan we constructed we should have had enough goals,” Ten Hag said.
“You count on goals from Rashford – last season he scored 30. You count on goals from Martial – in my first season he played very well, and also in very important games he had a high impact on our performances.
“And then bringing a goalscorer like Rasmus Hojlund in, it should have been enough goals.”
Source – Erik ten Hag: Man Utd manager wants new striker in summer transfer window – BBC Sport
