Manchester United have an obvious problem to overcome to complete Frenkie de Jong transfer

Few clubs will have to sell their sales pitch as well and articulately as Manchester United this summer.

Without the pulling power of being able to offer Champions League football, United could find life difficult when it comes to forming Erik ten Hag's new-look squad over the coming months. Their Champions League hopes were officially ended after last Saturday's 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, even though, deep down, everyone knew that they had long since been and gone.

Therefore, United could find life difficult in convincing big-name players to join the club this summer. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who is the subject of interest from the Reds, is just one name that John Murtough, Darren Fletcher and Ten Hag could struggle to convince to make the move if Barcelona agree to play ball.

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Barcelona have qualified for the Champions League next season and De Jong, almost certainly, would prefer to be strutting his stuff on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, opposed to the potential prospect of facing unheard of clubs on Thursday evenings in the Europa Conference League. Therefore, it is critical that United put the correct foundations in place this summer to build back towards gearing up for a Champions League campaign this time next year.

United drafted in the likes of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo last summer to form a Premier League title charge and compete in Europe's premier club competition. Instead, they find themselves even further away. They are miles away from competing with Liverpool and Manchester City, and Ten Hag is tasked with the challenge of closing the gap.