Manchester United star Fred issues defiant Champions League warning ahead of Everton fixture

Manchester United midfielder Fred insists that he and his team-mates have set their sights on securing a place in the Champions League for next season, stressing the importance of the club being in the competition.

With eight games left to play, United are currently seventh in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, as well as fifth-placed Arsenal. The Gunners have a game in hand on both United and Spurs, plus two on West Ham United, making them the favourites to secure the final Champions League spot.

United have stuttered and stumbled in recent weeks, winning just one of their last four Premier League matches. However, they remain in the shake-up to secure a place in Europe's premier club competition for next term.

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With that in mind, Fred, who scored United's equaliser in last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Leicester City, has highlighted the importance of the club securing a top-four finish this term. He has laid down the gauntlet, insisting the Reds must put a strong run of form together between now and the end of the campaign.

Fred told United's club website : "There aren't many games left and it is all very close. We're close to the Champions League place.

"A positive result against Everton at the weekend will be a step towards this. We have to visualise winning, we have to start our final games well.

"It will be good to go into this run of fixtures with a positive result. As I said before, we have to do our best, as we're a great team with great players and have to be in the Champions League next season.

"That's what we want, we'll do everything in this next game towards this. We want to go on a great