Manchester United were left short of attacking options due to the board's refusal to sign a forward late in January, according to Ralf Rangnick.

Rangnick took interim charge in November after the dismissal of club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and arrived as a highly acclaimed operator in the transfer market after his technical role at RB Leipzig.

United fans may have been hopeful the German would be allowed to deliver some transfer gems, having previously signed the likes of Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita for small fees while at RB Salzburg.

However, United were instead left with a shortage of strikers after the unsettled Anthony Martial was loaned to Sevilla and Mason Greenwood was suspended indefinitely by the club with three days left in January.

Rangnick eyed moves for Dusan Vlahovic, who subsequently left Fiorentina for Juventus, Manchester City-bound Julian Alvarez, and Luis Diaz, who joined Liverpool from Porto, but none came to fruition.

That left United to rely on the evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored nine of their last 13 league goals across 10 matches, with Edinson Cavani hampered by fitness and injury issues.

"The answer at the time was no there was no player on the market that could really help us – there were a few, Diaz who is now at Liverpool, Alvarez who will be at Manchester City in the summer, Vlahovic who at the time still was with Fiorentina those are just three of them that come across my mind now," said Rangnick.

"We had four days off at the time and on the Sunday I was informed about the issues with Mason Greenwood and obviously Anthony Martial had already left.

"Then I was aware that within four days we had some strikers missing and it might make sense, we were still in three competitions – Champions League, FA Cup and fourth in the league but that's the past and it doesn't help us anymore.

"I spoke to the board and said shouldn't we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal but in the end the answer was no.

"I still believe that we should have at least tried, if we would've found and been able in 48 hours, 48 hours is short notice but it's still 48 hours, it might have been worth to try and internally discuss but we didn't and it was not done."

Rangnick will move into a consultancy role at the end of the season, alongside his coaching commitments with Austria, and partner the incoming Erik ten Hag in an attempt to transform United's fortunes.

Ten Hag has already demanded some ruling over transfers, while Rangnick claimed United may need up to 10 players to compete.

Rangnick is under no illusions about how sizeable the rebuilding task will be at Old Trafford.

"If there is a good thing about the poor season we had so far it is that everybody now should be aware how big and where the problems are and what needs to be done to raise the level again and to be a serious title contender again – and this is what it's all about – to me it's obvious what needs to be done, this is what is most important," said Rangnick.

"If there hadn't been any problems before I came I wouldn't have come, probably Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] would still be sat here answering your questions.

"There were some problems the team already had at the end of November and as we all know in the first couple of months until the end of January we were improving, we conceded less goals, we had a point average of 2.1 after the West Ham game but then in that international break we lost three players and we had problems to score goals and find our balance."

"Now it's time to look ahead, now we have two games to play try to play as well as we possibly can, get as many points as we possibly can out of those two games. 

"Then together with Erik, together with the board, together with the scouting department, hopefully find and also convince the players, it's not only about finding them, scouting them you also have to convince them to come to Manchester United."

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has defended his decision not to play Jesse Lingard in what could have been the winger's final game at Old Trafford after receiving criticism from the player's brother.

Lingard was an unused substitute as the Red Devils ran out as 3-0 winners over Brentford in their final home league game of a frustrating season on Monday, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Raphael Varane on the scoresheet.

A number of players either confirmed or likely to leave Old Trafford, including Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Phil Jones, and Edinson Cavani, were given appearances by Rangnick, although Lingard was not afforded a farewell outing ahead of his contract expiring in June.

That attracted the ire of the player's brother Louie Scott, who posted on Instagram: "20 years of blood sweat and tears, four domestic trophies, three cup final goals, not even a farewell. No wonder it's Conference League next year."

But Rangnick insists he has done more for Lingard than several past United bosses, and listed several factors affecting his decision not to play the 29-year-old.

"Well to start with, I think in the last couple of weeks under my tenure, he has played far more games than he used to before I came," Rangnick said.

"Number two, on gameday against Chelsea [last Thursday] he contacted me at the hotel and asked me to release him from the game and to also release him from the training session two days after the Chelsea game, for some personal family reasons, and I allowed him to do that.

"This was the reason, and with only three substitutions, unfortunately – in all the other leagues you have five – I had to take a decision between bringing on Cavani or Lingard, or even the young Alejandro Garnacho, who I also would have loved to bring on and give him a chance after being 3-0 up.

"I took the decision to bring on Edinson for the very reasons I just explained. If I hadn't brought on Edinson maybe someone else would have posted 'it was classless not to bring on Cavani', or someone else would have posted 'why didn't the manager bring on Garnacho?'

"You have to take a decision. This will not be to the liking of everybody, but it's part of the game."

Lingard has made 22 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions this season, although only four of those have been starts and the 29-year-old has only featured for a total of 548 minutes.

United are looking to avoid a fifth consecutive away league defeat when they travel to Brighton and Hove Albion in their penultimate game of the Premier League season on Saturday, with their current run of four consecutive league losses on the road already their worst such streak since the 1980-1981 season (a run of six).

Harry Maguire is in line for a return to action when Manchester United travel to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, Ralf Rangnick has confirmed.

The United captain has not played since the Red Devils fell to a crushing 4-0 defeat at rivals Liverpool on April 19.

He was only the bench four days later as United lost to Arsenal 3-1, with Rangnick confirming the mental toll of a bomb threat made against Maguire was one reason for leaving him out.

A knee injury then forced him to miss the 1-1 draw with Chelsea and United's 3-0 defeat of Brentford.

United sit sixth in the Premier League table, five points behind fourth-placed Arsenal going in to the final two games of Rangnick's tenure as interim manager.

Maguire has been criticised after playing his part in just seven clean sheets in 35 appearances across all competitions this term but should return at the Amex Stadium, although Rangnick refused to say whether he would start.

Fellow England international Marcus Rashford, however, has been ruled out after suffering from a bout of bronchitis.

"Harry is back in training, he trained the whole week, the second day after the Brentford game he resumed training, so he will be available and will be part of the group," Rangnick told his pre-match press conference.

"This [whether will start Maguire] is a decision I have to make after training today, obviously I don't want to tell our opponents the line-up with which we will start, but he will definitely be part of the group.

"Edinson [Cavani] is in training, obviously he came on as a sub [against Brentford], [but] Marcus Rashford will be missing, he has caught bronchitis, with a high temperature, so he won't be able to be part of the group."

United will defend an excellent head-to-head record against the Seagulls when they travel to the south coast: they have won each of their previous seven games against Brighton in all competitions, their longest ongoing winning run against another current Premier League side.

However, the Red Devils have lost each of their past four away Premier League games, as many as they had in the previous 42 on their travels, making it the club's longest run of consecutive league reverses on the road since a streak of six between December 1980 and March 1981.

However, as Rangnick prepares to make way for Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag and assume a consultancy role at the end of the season, he reiterated his belief that the future is bright at Old Trafford, saying he was pleased to see his players enjoying their football against the Bees last time out.

"In last two home games we got four points, and the Brentford game was one of our best games in the last six months. I'm positive that the team will try to play on the same level tomorrow and in two weeks' time against Crystal Palace," he added.

"Once again, what I liked about the game was you could see they had fun playing together, that they were enjoying themselves on the pitch, and this is exactly the kind of approach we need for tomorrow as well.

"I think it was visible against Brentford, you could see they enjoyed themselves on the pitch. This does not mean everything was perfect, but in possession we were controlling the game.

"With regard to next season, there will be some changes, obviously. There are some players whose contracts are expiring, with new players to join us here, in the end it's also a thing that needs to be discussed with Erik and the board.

"Erik needs to tell the board which players he wants to work with, but I'm positive with the right new players, plus the players that are already here, the pathway could be a very positive one, this is what we will all try to achieve.

"We will definitely speak at the end of the season. Both Erik and myself want to have our full focus on the outstanding games, he has another three games to play and will do everything to try to win the title in the Netherlands.

"We have agreed we will chat and speak about everything at the end of the season."

Anthony Elanga is eager at the prospect of working under Erik ten Hag when he eventually takes over as manager at Manchester United.

Despite a turbulent season that saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dismissed in November, the 20-year-old Elanga has progressed under his interim replacement, Ralf Rangnick.

Elanga was not in a first-team squad in the Premier League this season until Rangnick's arrival and since then has made 19 league appearances.

However, Ten Hag's football with Ajax has Elanga excited with what he can bring to Old Trafford.

"You can see the way Ajax are playing in Europe," he told Sky Sports. "He's a great manager with a fantastic record in Europe. I've seen how good he is with developing young players, so that's one of the reasons I'm really excited to work with him.

"Obviously we're focused on finishing the season strongly, but we're also feeling very, very positive about next year. His experience in Europe, developing young players like myself and we've got other young players coming up. He'll bring exciting football to Old Trafford.

"It all starts from pre-season and how we take in his instructions and tactics. He'll be a great addition to the club and I'm really, really excited to work with him."

Elanga has started to establish himself at United, with 25 appearances in all competitions this season, claiming three goals and two assists in that time.

The attacker believes the difficulty of this campaign at Old Trafford, that will likely result in a failure to qualify for the Champions League, has still provided him an important learning experience.

"Playing 25 games for the first team and making my international debut, I've personally learnt a huge amount," Elanga said.

"Despite what's happened this season, I still feel I've learnt a lot and I'm ready to take my game to the next level next season."

Manchester United will next face Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo will still be at Manchester United next season "as far as I know", says outgoing interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Big changes are anticipated at Old Trafford in the offseason as new boss Erik ten Hag replaces Rangnick, who is taking on a dual role as United consultant and Austria coach.

Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani all made their final home appearances as United players in Monday's 3-0 defeat of Brentford.

And there has also been widespread speculation around Ronaldo and how he will fare under Ten Hag – or whether he could even move on a year after his return to the club.

But Ronaldo has scored 18 goals in just 29 Premier League games this season, and Rangnick does not foresee United's number seven leaving.

Speaking to Stadium Astro after the Brentford game, Rangnick said of Ronaldo's response to the crowd at full-time: "I don't think why it should be a wave of goodbye.

"He has another year of contract, and as far as I know, he will be here next season again."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo posted on his Instagram page: "Once again, great support from the stands.

"Let's take this opportunity of our last game of the season at Old Trafford to thank our amazing supporters, who endured a difficult season by our side and never abandoned us.

"Thanks, guys. Your support means the world to us and our goal is to become better everyday, so that we can achieve what we all want: glory for Man. United!"

Along with veterans Matic, Mata and Cavani, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are set to depart United, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been linked with a return to Crystal Palace.

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."

Ralf Rangnick is optimistic it will not take too long for Manchester United to become a force again in a new era under Erik ten Hag.

Ten Haag will leave his role as Ajax head coach to take over from interim United manager Rangnick at the end of the season.

The Dutchman faces a rebuilding job, with United only sixth in the Premier League and set to miss out on Champions League football after falling short of expectations again this season.

It is five years since the 20-time champions of England last won a trophy and Rangnick previously stated that the club need "open-heart surgery" in order to turn their fortunes around

Rangnick, who will take over as Austria coach but is due to remain at Old Trafford in a consultancy role, says he has not yet spoken to Ten Hag since the Ajax coach was appointed as his successor.

Ahead of Monday's Premier League encounter with Brentford, the 63-year-old told Sky Sports: "I'm pretty sure he's [Ten Hag] got my phone number!

"He's got another couple of games to play with Ajax, we have another three games to play here. Whenever he wants to speak with me and exchange our opinions, I'm more than happy to do that."

Rangnick believes the next man to take the United hotseat can be successful in the not-too-distant future if the club learn from their mistakes and recruit wisely.

He added: "Knowing Erik will be the manager, with a good recruitment process and bringing in the right players, I'm very positive the supporters and the media will be able to see a better team and, at the end, hopefully a better position in the league.

"There are quite a few good examples in the league with when Jurgen Klopp came to Liverpool, Pep Guardiola to Manchester City, Thomas Tuchel came to Chelsea – yes, he came in the middle of the season and inherited a top-quality squad, but you still need to win the Champions League.

"If you know what you're looking for, the profiles of the different positions you need, it shouldn't hopefully take too long."

Rangnick has no idea what part Cristiano Ronaldo will play under Ten Hag, though.

He added: "This is a question you need to ask Erik ten Hag.

"He's showed that he can still be a vital part of this team, but it's obvious the team needs some more strikers. There should be two or three new strikers next season, it's pretty obvious."

Jadon Sancho could miss the rest of Manchester United's Premier League season after reacting adversely to a bout of tonsilitis, according to boss Ralf Rangnick.

Sancho has scored five goals and registered three assists in 38 appearances for the Red Devils in a debut campaign that has not always hit top heights since joining from Borussia Dortmund.

The Red Devils have struggled in their quest for Champions League qualification this term and look almost certain to begin Erik ten Hag's Old Trafford reign outside of European football's premier competition.

With the club facing three more Premier League outings before Rangnick vacates the dugout to assume a consultancy role with the club – a position he will mix with being the new head coach of Austria – the former RB Leipzig boss says it's unlikely Sancho will feature again this term.

"It seems Jadon might be out for the rest of the season with his tonsillitis, he most likely will not be available," Rangnick told reporters ahead of United's home clash with Brentford on Monday. 

"The last game is in three weeks, [and] I think for the next two games it's unlikely [Sancho will feature].

"He has got an inflammation on his tonsils and also has had a high temperature, that's why he was not available [for Thursday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea], and he will almost certainly not be available for the next two games."

Although Sancho has made a slow start to life at Old Trafford, only Bruno Fernandes (117) and Luke Shaw (49) have bettered the 48 chances created by the England winger in all competitions for United this season.

Elsewhere, Rangnick said he hoped to have a number of other absentees available for United's first home match against Brentford since September 1975, but noted Edinson Cavani was unlikely to start the match despite his anticipated return to training.

"I hope Fred will make it for the Brentford game, Chelsea was too early for him," he added. 

"With the others, Cavani is supposed to come back to training tomorrow, but he has been missing for the last four or five weeks, is he really a player that could then play against Brentford? Probably not from the start.

"Harry Maguire, Jesse [Lingard] was missing for family reasons today, but I hope some of those players will be back on Monday."

Monday's encounter is United's final home match of the season, but with a host of players either coming to the end of their contracts or expected to depart, Rangnick said his desire to give certain players an Old Trafford send-off had to be balanced with the need for a result.

"I would like to but it's also about getting the best possible result and the best possible performance," he added. "It's not about making any gifts to players. 

"It's not about saying goodbye to the supporters, if it's possible I would like to do that but it's also about getting the best possible result."

United are winless in their last three Premier League games after their draw with Chelsea on Thursday (one draw, two losses), but last lost to Monday's opponents in an FA Cup tie in February 1938, going unbeaten in six subsequent meetings. 

Ralf Rangnick says his consultancy role at Manchester United will see him focus on recruitment and has highlighted the need for the Red Devils to target younger players in the upcoming transfer window.

Rangnick will step aside from his interim manager role at the end of this season, with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag taking over at the end of a difficult campaign in which United look certain to miss out on Champions League qualification.

It was confirmed on Friday that Rangnick is taking over as head coach of the Austrian national team, although he remains committed to his new role with the Red Devils.

Rangnick said his position will see him focus on recruiting young, talented players who can help Ten Hag's United develop into one of European football's leading sides.

The 63-year-old namechecked Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, whom he helped bring to Salzburg, as an example of the profile of player the Red Devils must target, and stressed he is "positive" about the team's future under "one of the best coaches in Europe" in Ten Hag.

"For me the most important bit is recruitment now, this is, for me, the most vital point, that we bring in the best possible players," he said.

"It's not only about identifying those players, also meeting them, convincing them to join this club even though we will not be playing in the Champions League.

"This is what I see as the most important bit, also with regard to top talented players for the academy, identifying those players. This is for me, for the next one or two years, an important part. My personal opinion is the club should try to find future top star players and try to develop them. 

"Haaland is a young player, but on the other hand, he has developed in the last two years into one of the most expensive strikers in the world. He could be of one of those examples where the focus should be, to identify and find players who could be Manchester United players for the next couple of years.

"We just need to look at the other top clubs in England and in some other countries, what kind of players did they sign in the past? I think then you get the answer yourself.

"I'm positive. With Erik ten Hag, Manchester United will have one of the best coaches in Europe, and then it's about, together with him, recruitment. If those things come together, I'm very positive you can see a different kind of team with a different style of football."

Meanwhile, with a host of out-of-contract players likely to depart Old Trafford at the end of the campaign, including Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Edinson Cavani, Rangnick said the Red Devils will require "quite a few" new signings to compete next term, but insisted Old Trafford remains a desirable destination for players.

"It's obvious that the club and the team needs more players, some players are out of contract, some are not available anymore, and some might want to get more game time [elsewhere]," he added.

"The club needs quite a few new players. For me, it's important the club recruits those kind of players that can help Manchester United develop into one of the top teams again.

"As a club, with regard to the supporters, the stadium, the training ground, yes, it definitely is [still a club players would want to join]. 

"But we also have to be realistic, as soon as other clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City are involved, then you need some good reasons to explain to the players [why they should join]."

United play their final home game of the Premier League season against Brentford on Monday, their first home clash with the Bees in any competition since a 2-1 League Cup win in September 1975.

Ralf Rangnick has been confirmed as the head coach of Austria's national team.

Rangnick will continue in his role as the interim boss of Manchester United, a position he has held since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed in November, until the end of the season.

The 63-year-old will prepare Austria for Nations League fixtures against Croatia, Denmark and France at the start of May.

A statement from the Austrian Football Association (OFB) on Friday confirmed Rangnick's contract will initially last two years but, should they qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany, the deal will be extended through to the 2026 World Cup.

"It's an honor for me to take on the role of team boss," Rangnick said. "I'm particularly excited about the prospect of contesting the European Championships in Germany with a young team hungry for success."

Speculation Rangnick would take over as Austria boss increased on Thursday, leading to confusion as to whether he will continue in a consultancy role at Old Trafford next season.

The initial plan was for Rangnick to stay in the dugout until the end of the campaign, then move upstairs to a behind-the-scenes role.

Speaking after United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Thursday, Rangnick confirmed nothing has changed in that regard and he will be available to incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

"Let us speak tonight about Manchester United and our game, the rest of the season here – this is the issue," Rangnick told Sky Sports.

"I can also confirm I will also definitely continue at the end of the season with my consultancy role.

"I didn't say I would be a big part going forward, but we have definitely agreed now both on the content and the time of my consultancy role.

"So far we haven't spoken, Erik and I, but this will hopefully and probably happen in the future, but as I said, I'm more than happy and willing to help, to change things for the better.

"It would leave space for another job, but that's what we had agreed to start with back in November last year."

United have massively underperformed this term with the dismissal of Solskjaer and arrival of Rangnick failing to produce the upturn in fortunes expected.

Rumours of squad dissatisfaction have rumbled on in the background of a campaign that has seen United fall off the pace in the race for a top-four finish.

Indeed, victories in their final three matches will only see them equal their lowest-ever Premier League points return.

However, Rangnick has a high standing in the game and has a wealth of experience.

He helped Hoffenheim from the third tier to the Bundesliga in two seasons and led Schalke to DFB-Pokal glory in 2011.

Rangnick spent seven seasons at RB Leipzig from 2012 to 2019, mainly as sporting director but also two spells as coach in the 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons as well.

Austria have been searching for a new coach since Franco Foda resigned from his position after a 2-1 defeat to Wales last month saw them fail to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Foda had been in charge since 2017 and helped Austria qualify for Euro 2020.

"We are very pleased that we were able to [appoint] Ralf Rangnick, an outstanding expert in international football, as team boss," said OFB president President Gerhard Milletich.

"We are all convinced that he is the ideal man and that his vision will advance the national team and the OFB."

Ralf Rangnick has been confirmed as the head coach of Austria's national team.

Rangnick will continue in his role as the interim boss of Manchester United, a position he has held since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed in November, until the end of the season.

The 63-year-old will prepare Austria for Nations League fixtures against Croatia, Denmark and France at the start of May.

A statement from the Austrian Football Association (OFB) confirmed Rangnick's contract will initially last two years but, should they qualify for Euro 2024 in Germany, the deal will be extended through to the 2026 World Cup.

Ralf Rangnick has confirmed he will be staying on in a consultancy role at Manchester United into next season, though the position would allow him to take on a job elsewhere.

Rangnick joined United as interim manager in November following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the initial terms of the deal seeing him in charge until the end of the season before taking on a backroom role.

The exact criteria and expectations of that consultancy position were not confirmed at the time and, even until recent weeks there was a degree of uncertainty around whether the role would exist at all after the appointment of Erik ten Hag.

Rangnick's pre-match comments ahead of Thursday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea belied a certain confidence on the German's part that he would still be working with the club in some capacity next season.

Reports then began to circulate that Rangnick is set to become Austria's next head coach, but such a job would seemingly not prevent him from also assisting United.

"Let us speak tonight about Manchester United and our game, the rest of the season here – this is the issue," Rangnick told Sky Sports when asked about the Austria reports.

"I can also confirm I will also definitely continue at the end of the season with my consultancy role.

"I didn't say I would be a big part going forward, but we have definitely agreed now both on the content and the time of my consultancy role.

"So far we haven't spoken, Erik and I, but this will hopefully and probably happen in the future, but as I said, I'm more than happy and willing to help, to change things for the better.

"It would leave space for another job, but that's what we had agreed to start with back in November last year."

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke believes incoming Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag needs to be given full control at the club if there are to return to the top of the English Premier League.

Ralf Rangnick said it is "completely false" to say he has been preparing a 'dossier' on Manchester United stars for incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

Reports had claimed Rangnick was working on such a file to hand over to Ten Hag, who will leave Ajax for the United top job at the end of the season.

Interim manager Rangnick was appointed in November and will have spent six months with United's players by the team he steps aside.

Ahead of United's Premier League game against Chelsea on Thursday, Rangnick flatly denied the existence of a dossier.

He told Sky Sports: "This is completely false, completely untrue. The board has never asked me to prepare a dossier, neither for the board nor for Erik.

"I also never said anything to nobody criticising the attitude of the players as being unprofessional or selfish. This is not true, I will always protect my players. I have never realised any issues of them being unprofessional or selfish."

Rangnick succeeded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United have continued to struggle to challenge for the Champions League places during the German's Old Trafford tenure, suggesting Ten Hag faces a difficult task when he steps into the role.

While there may not be a folder packed with information to pass on to the new boss, Rangnick will eagerly share the knowledge he has acquired when he talks to Ten Hag.

"I'm definitely looking forward to that. I definitely think it would make sense," Rangnick said.

"Erik is the manager next season and if he would like to get my opinion or hear something about how I assess the current situation, I'm more than happy to speak with him."

It remains to be seen what involvement Rangnick has at United once his temporary spell in charge ends.

United said, at the time of his appointment, that Rangnick would take on a consultancy role for two years, and that appears to be a role he is still planning to undertake.

"I've been talking to the board quite regularly and obviously we were also exchanging our impressions of the current situation," Rangnick said.

"For me it's important, together with Erik, together with the scouting department, we can build a new squad, a new group of players with quality and mentality that Erik, together with his coaching staff, will develop and lead this club into a range where supporters will want to see Manchester United."

United sit sixth in the Premier League and are guaranteed to stay in that position for now, whatever the result of the home clash with third-placed Chelsea.

They have won just nine of 20 Premier League games under Rangnick and have lost their last four away matches in the competition.

From the weekend of his first game in charge, his United side have gathered 33 points, with five teams (Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham) having accrued more points over the same period.

Chelsea have one fewer point than United in the same period but have played just 18 games in this time.

For a number of years, a clash between Manchester United and Chelsea with less than a month of the Premier League campaign remaining would often be a defining one.

United's days of competing for – and regularly winning – the title are over for now, though, with the Red Devils languishing down in sixth place.

Indeed, following Saturday's 3-1 loss to Arsenal – their third defeat in four games – the Red Devils are also now effectively out of the race for a top-four finish.

While there is little to play for on the face of it, the remaining four matches at least provides Ralf Rangnick a chance to experiment before being replaced by Erik ten Hag.

Rangnick has admitted United need a huge squad overhaul if they are to compete for major honours again, but the club must also look to get more out of their academy products.

With that in mind, Stats Perform looks at some of the youngsters who may get a chance to shine when United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on Thursday.

Experience favoured over youth

Whether it be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or temporary successor Rangnick in charge, United have tended to avoid picking younger players this season.

The average age of United's starting XI in the Premier League in 2021-22 is 27 years and 200 days – only seven sides, Chelsea among them, have named older line-ups.

Once famed for giving youngsters an opportunity, United have used just four players aged 21 or under in the league this campaign, and one of those was a £73million signing in the form of Jadon Sancho (who turned 22 in March).

Hannibal hungry to impress

Hannibal is highly regarded at Old Trafford but has just six minutes of playing time to his name this season, coming late on in the recent 4-0 defeat to Liverpool.

That was the first indicator Rangnick had thrown in the towel and was ready to look to the future, and Hannibal certainly left his mark – albeit on a couple of Liverpool players.

The tenacious midfielder committed as many fouls as any United player at Anfield, despite being introduced late on, and was one of two players to be cautioned.

With fellow midfielders Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all soon to make way, and Fred not fully fit, Hannibal may well get another opportunity against Chelsea.

Already capped 12 times by Tunisia at senior international level, now is the time for United to unleash the teenager's full potential while they have an opportunity to do so.

Shoretire set to star

Hannibal was one of four academy players that took part in training ahead of the Chelsea match, along with Alvaro Fernandez, Shola Shoretire and Will Fish.

Winger Shoretire is the most well-known of those youngsters, having made four appearances for United in all competitions.

He became the youngest player to represent United in European competition last year when featuring against Real Sociedad in the Europa League at 17 years and 23 days.

Appearances have been pretty fleeting since, though he also had a 22-minute run-out against the (appropriately named for this focus) Young Boys in the Champions League four months ago.

While others may have garnered more attention of late, Shoretire has continued to showcase his talents consistently for the Under-23s side and deserves a promotion.

Fish ready to scale new heights

The fact that Fernandez and Fish also took part in training with the senior players this week suggests that they will be part of the squad to face Chelsea at the very least.

Left-back Fernandez has been made to bide his time for a senior debut, whereas centre-back Fish made a cameo appearance in the Premier League under Solskjaer last year.

He was subsequently loaned to Stockport County ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, only to be recalled in January, though his time since has been spent with the reserves.

Tipped as a future star at the back for United since making his Under-23s debut at the age of just 16, Fish now needs the platform to showcase his talents at the highest level.

Garanacho grabbing attention

Unsurprisingly given their status as one of the biggest clubs in the world, United have a whole raft of talented teens that have been heralded as the next big thing.

Look no further than Alejandro Garnacho, who has been an unused substitute for the senior side's last three matches.

The winger is still aged just 17 and therefore has time on his side, but the early indications are that he could be a first-team regular in the next couple of seasons.

Charlie Savage, the son of one-time United academy product Robbie, is also on the cusp of being a first-team squad regular and has featured once already this season.

Zidane Iqbal was also given his first-team breakthrough under Rangnick in December, but has frustratingly – albeit understandably – had to bide his time for more senior minutes.

With nothing left to salvage in what has been another dire season, Rangnick could do a lot worse than turn to the next generation of talent to give supporters hope for the future.