Gary Neville has admitted he fails to see Manchester United making a return to the top four this season - unless Erik ten Hag signs two new recruits before the transfer window slams shut.
Reflecting on United's prospects before the opening night of the new Premier League season, Neville failed to offer much optimism when predicting how the Red Devils would fare this term. With that being said, he conceded that the potential arrival of Frenkie de Jong would change things.
The Barcelona midfielder has been touted with an Old Trafford switch all summer but despite the two clubs agreeing on a fee, there has been little to no progress when it comes to the personal terms of the deal.
Neville believes that should United land De Jong and a fresh target up top they could have a successful season. He said on Sky Sports: "I don't think United with their current squad will finish fourth, but if they bring De Jong and a striker in it's a different story."
While there may not have been as much business conducted as the Old Trafford faithful would have hoped before the window opened, Ten Hag has still undeniably strengthened his side ahead of the new campaign. Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia was signed from Feyenoord, while ex-Spurs star Christian Eriksen quickly followed suit.
In-demand Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez is the club's most expensive arrival of the window to date, with Ten Hag forking out £56million to bring a player he is already so familiar with to United. Undeniably, none of these additions actually solve the two most pressing positions United need to address.
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If De Jong is showing no sign of any actual interest in the move, it would be reasonable to expect United to shift their attention to a new target. Yet such is the desire to land the Dutchman, negotiations remain ongoing an astonishing 14 weeks after they first started.
Alongside the De Jong saga, Ten Hag must also solve the problem that is Cristiano Ronaldo - and quickly. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has expressed his desire to leave the club just one year into his two-year deal and could quickly sour the kind of atmosphere the new manager is trying to build.
As of yet, the 37-year-old has very few suitors keeping tabs on the situation which may mean he stays put. Ten Hag has already publicly stated that Ronaldo is not for sale and will line up at Old Trafford this season.
The clock is now ticking for United to get any deal for both De Jong and a potential Ronaldo replacement given we are now in the final month of the window and the season is already underway.
