OLE SOLSKJAER has told the Glazers they need to splash the cash on two or three more players to close the gap on champions City.
United sealed runners-up spot last week but will still finish well adrift of their neighbours.
Now the Red Devils boss wants to spend to make sure that they can lift the title next season for the first time since 2013.
Solskjaer said: “I hope we are going to strengthen with two or three players, we definitely need to challenge higher up in the table and we’re still too far behind to think it will just come by itself.
“We’re not where we aim to be, we’ve got ambitions to move one place further up.”
Spurs striker Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund and even a return for Cristiano Ronaldo are all being discussed at the highest level at Old Trafford.
They will hope to get one of those and then prioritise another centre-back and midfielder.
The owning Glazer family have already told Solksjaer that he will be backed with more funds.
The financial hit of Covid-19, however, will mean crazy asking prices will not be met.
Solskjaer has made a significant improvement on last season when they finished third and went out in three semi-finals.
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It had looked like City and Liverpool would dominate again but he has split them and stayed ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Leicester.
United are also in their first final under Solskjaer in the Europa League as they travel to Gdansk to face Villarreal next Wednesday.
He said: “We’ve improved steadily from third last season, we’ve done really well away from home,
“We had a difficult start with a lack of pre-season and lost three of the first six league games, that put pressure on the team but they players have managed them well, and been very good.”
United have had to negotiate a tough end to the season with fans protest causing their home game with Liverpool to be postponed leading to a fixture pile up.
Solskjaer felt that lead to consecutive home defeats to Leicester and Liverpool.
There were 10,000 fans allowed back in the stadium for the home draw with already relegated Fulham.
But the protests continued with anti-Glazer banners and chants.
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The co-chairman Joel Glazer has agreed to attend a Fans Forum via zoom to address concerns and open up better lines of communication.
Solskjaer said: “Being reunited with the fans again was great, they supported the team really well and the fans meeting the owner is a step in the right direction.
“We want to start next season on a high, with a good atmosphere around the club. The one day that was a disappointing day was the Liverpool game. They’ve got a right to express a view they did it in the right way after that.”
United travel to Wolves on Sunday for their final game of the season and what could be Juan Mata’s final league appearance.
The 33-year-old Spaniard has spent eight seasons at Old Trafford but is out of contract this summer and no new deal has been agreed.
Solskjaer said: “We’re talking to Juan, we’ve had good dialogue, good discussions and that dialogue will continue.
“Let’s see what he wants to do at the end of the season.
“He’s such a top professional and a very good player, it’s hard not to play him, but here have been circumstances, personal issues that made him less available.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
