Erik ten Hag makes demand to Sir Jim Ratcliffe over Man Utd's summer transfer plans | OneFootball

With a spot in the top four almost mathematically impossible, United find themselves in a battle to seal any form of European football this year, with Ten Hag also hoping to avoid leading the team to their lowest Premier League finish ever - currently seventh from 2013/14.

While Ten Hag argued injuries have hampered his side's push for Champions League qualification, he insisted the squad is simply not strong enough to compete for the title at this point.

"It's not just a two or three-horse race in the league," he told a press conference. "There’s [Aston] Villa, there's Spurs, [and] there's Newcastle. So many good teams, who all can compete.

"We're one of them, but we're not, at this moment, in a position to compete No.1 or No.2. That's a fact.

"This year, we stand still, but when everyone is available, definitely we're competing for the top four. I'm confident of that."

Ratcliffe & Avram Glazer watch United in action / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages

In a message to Ratcliffe, Ten Hag added: "We can come closer if we make a good window. We have to strengthen in key positions and also in the depth of the squad, which is one of the lessons from this season."