Jose Mourinho has warned Manchester United face a "difficult season" if they do not strengthen their squad before Thursday's transfer deadline.
United's build-up to the new campaign has been dominated by Mourinho's clear frustration over transfers, which has brought his relationship with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward into the spotlight.
The only arrivals into Old Trafford this summer have been Brazilian midfielder Fred, teenage full-back Diogo Dalot and back-up goalkeeper Lee Grant, leaving Mourinho to cast envious glances at how his rivals are shaping up for the new Premier League season.
The Portuguese told MUTV ahead of his side's pre-season friendly defeat to Bayern Munich: "My CEO knows what I want and I still have a few days to wait and see what happens.
"The other clubs who compete with us are really strong and already have fantastic teams. Or they are investing massively like Liverpool, who are buying everything and everybody.
"If we don't make our team better it will be a difficult season for us."
Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld is understood to be Mourinho's top target with the club also linked to Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng and Leicester's Harry Maguire.
Mourinho and Woodward have been urged to put their heads together and bring the good times back to United by the club's former chief executive Peter Kenyon.
Kenyon was a key figure at United during the glory years of Sir Alex Ferguson and has watched from a distance as the Red Devils have struggled to land the league title for the past five years.
Kenyon acknowledges things have yet to click two years into the Portuguese's reign but does believe it can happen.
"They have to work it out and they'll find a way of working it out," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek. "United is bigger than anybody, bigger than any individual and that's always been the mantra.
"It will get worked out and I would hope Jose is part of that working it out because he is incredibly skilled and he's demonstrated he can do things.
"He is more than capable, one of the best coaches in the world but have they got it right? No. I think the first people to recognise that will be the people at United.
"Jose has all the capabilities, he's done it, but I don't think he's in a place where he feels good at the moment, or United feel good at the moment or the fans at the moment."
PA
