Ralf Rangnick is confident Manchester United can challenge for major honours once again, but only with the addition of "top-quality players".
The Red Devils have gone a fifth season without any silverware and are almost certain to miss out on a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Sixth-placed United thrashed Brentford 3-0 on Monday, though they remain five points behind Arsenal in the final Champions League spot having played two games more.
And interim manager Rangnick accepts that some big business is required if United are to make the leap and rival the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.
Rangnick, who will be replaced by Erik ten Hag at the end of the season, told Sky Sports: "It's obvious quite a few players will leave and there is a need for top-quality players.
"I strongly believe that if everyone works together we can bring Man Utd back to where we need to be.
"Other clubs only needed two or three transfer windows to challenge but from now on we need to bring in top-quality players who really help raise the level.
"If this happens then I don't think it should take too long."
Asked if he has yet to speak to incoming boss Ten Hag, who is still employed by Ajax, Rangnick added: "So far we haven't been able to talk.
"Erik's focus is on winning the Dutch league, our focus was on our games."
United snapped a three-game winless run with their victory over Brentford thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane, either side of Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty.
The Red Devils both attempted (710) and completed (646) more passes against the Bees than they have in any other Premier League game this campaign.
Rangnick was pleased with what he saw in his final home match in charge ahead of away matches with Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.
"We were in control for most parts," he said. "In possession that was one of our best performances this year. It was the type of performance we wanted to show to our supporters.
"We played with Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic and that gave us some quality in midfield. It was not too easy for Brentford to take the ball away from us.
"In the first half we played too many square and back passes but in general it was a good performance."
United have won 35 points at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season, which is four more than they accrued on home soil last term (31).
The record 20-time English champions have largely struggled for form, though, and can only match their lowest ever Premier League points tally if they win their final two games.
"In the end I'm not happy with the results, especially in the last four or five weeks," Rangnick added. "Until the West Ham game we were still in the race in three competitions.
"We've conceded fewer goals but in the last few weeks performances have not been as good as they should have been. In general we have lacked consistency."
Brentford are the 21st side in a row to lose their first Premier League trip to Old Trafford and boss Thomas Frank had no complaints with his side's first defeat in five matches.
"We played a Manchester United team who played well today, so congratulations to them," he said.
"I think it was a fair loss. We have had a very good season in many ways. We win or learn and today we learned a lot."
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Jonathan David names Barcelona as dream club amid Lille uncertainty
Jonathan David admits it is his dream to play for Barcelona as he prepares to enter the final six months of his Lille contract.
The Canada international is into his fifth season with the Ligue 1 side but is due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
Lille have attempted to persuade David with a new deal, though he looks set to depart Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2025 – potentially as early as January if a club is prepared to pay a transfer fee.
However, while the 24-year-old is seemingly open to a move to Barcelona, he suggested he would prefer to wait until the end of the campaign before taking the next step in his career.
"Going to a club midseason is never easy," he told The Athletic. "It's not like the beginning of a season where you have a pre-season, you get to know your team-mates, you have time to gel.
"In January, things are very hectic. It's about right now. It's tougher."
"[Barcelona] was always the team I grew up supporting. When you grow up supporting a team, it's your dream to play for them.
"Some people might say, 'Oh, he's staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he's not getting better'. But for me, there's always opportunities to get better."
David has scored 13 goals in 19 games for Lille in all competitions this season, including goals against heavyweight sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.
Including penalties, eight of those goals have been scored via his stronger right boot, four with his left and one with his head – an area the forward accepts he can still improve.
"Aerially, I can get better," he said. "Getting that header on target and scoring.
"I can get in good positions and win headers but the finishing touch, I'm still missing. With my back to goal, I can also get better."
David is averaging a goal every 112 minutes across all competitions this season, which compares to one every 139 minutes last season and 131 in 2022-23.
However, he still has some way to go to match the 18 goals scored in 27 league games for former club Gent in 2019-20.
"Things are good right now because I'm scoring goals," David said.
"But is this the best I've played in my life? Probably not. For me, it was my second year in Belgium. That was the season of my life."
Croatia 1-1 Portugal: Gvardiol earns draw as hosts advance in Nations League
Croatia joined Portugal in the quarter-finals of the Nations League after the sides played out a 1-1 draw in Split on Monday.
Josko Gvardiol equalised in the 65th minute after Joao Felix had put Portugal – already assured of top spot – ahead in the first half at Stadion Poljud.
That goal ensured Croatia finished a point better off than Scotland in Group A1 after they earned a late 2-1 victory over Poland in Warsaw.
In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix stepped up by taking Vitinha's pass in his stride and calmly firing past Dominik Livakovic in the 33rd minute – the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for offside.
Andrej Kramaric blasted an effort back off the crossbar and Gvardiol had a goal disallowed for offside either side of the interval as Croatia pressed for a leveller.
Gvardiol found the net again soon after, though, and this time it was allowed to stand as he got on the end of Kristijan Jakic's delivery at the back post.
Livakovic and Jose Sa produced fine saves to deny Nuno Mendes and Ante Budimir, who also hit the outside of the post, but neither side could find a winning goal.
Data Debrief: Gvardiol scores again against blunt visitors
Roberto Martinez opted to release Ronaldo, Silva, Pedro Neto and the suspended Fernandes back to their clubs before this game and Portugal lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.
Joao Felix took his chance very well, scoring his one goal from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.58 across the 90 minutes, but the visitors were unable to find the net from any of their other 11 attempts.
Croatia's attackers were also frustrated by a mixture of the frame of the goal and Sa, but in-form defender Gvardiol was the hero as he netted for the fourth time this season already for club and country.
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