Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been told that players making the move to Man Utd over their rivals are only doing so for the money.
The Red Devils have seen a number of signings flop in recent seasons, most notably Alexis Sanchez, who opted for a move to Old Trafford over Man City.
With United expected to be active in the transfer market this month, they face a battle to land their top targets, due to their current plight.
And BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson feels that opens up a whole minefield of potential problems, as some players prioritise financial gain over on-field success.
"At the moment, I don't see them [United] finishing in the top four and they would be relying on attracting players by big wages, not Champions League football," Lawrenson told the BBC .
"Right now, if you gave any player a choice between United, City and Liverpool , it would be a straight choice between the Premier League's top two for anyone who is ambitious and wants to win the big prizes.
"If you decide to go to United, you have gone for the money. You sometimes get a certain type of player and personality who will base their decision on that, and they are not the ones who will take your club back to the top."
United have seemingly done some decent transfer business so far under Solskjaer, signing impressive trio Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire in the summer.
However links with Barcelona's Arturo Vidal and Emre Can of Juventus should perhaps concern United fans, going by Lawrenson's theory.
Vidal has recently entered a legal dispute with Barca over unpaid bonuses, despite featuring regularly in their matchday squad.
Meanwhile Can left Liverpool to join Juventus on a free, after the Reds refused to match his staggering wage demands.
Another issue for United is the growing number of players hoping to leave the club, at a time when Solskjaer's squad is thread-bare due to injuries.
Paul Pogba's stance is well known, as he remains hopeful of a switch to Real Madrid .
Now veteran Ashley Young also wants out, with the 34-year-old set to sign for Inter Milan on a free at the end of the season.
Inter wanted to bring the move forward to January, but with United limited on defenders, a move has been blocked, leaving Young frustrated .
