Manchester United transfer successes will be wasted without Champions League football

It's hard to believe it now, but Manchester United's transfer window last summer was at the time hailed as one of their best of recent memory. Their £115million splurge of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo set the tone for a season where a title challenge was expected. It looked like the jigsaw now only had one or two pieces missing.

What followed has been so bruising that United are now unlikely to even finish in the top four, but their three new signings have all had fairly reasonable campaigns, at least compared to their peers.

Varane has been a rock in defence, the only question mark over his availability. Sancho started slowly but now looks like United's best player. There are question marks starting to form around Ronaldo but he has scored six goals more than any other player in the squad.

READ MORE: United handed Varane boost

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactical failings set the tone for a poor season and now too many players are woefully out of form or have simply regressed. There was always a desperate need to sign a central midfielder this summer, but now United probably need four of five new signings.

A new right-back is required, a new striker, possibly a centre back and at least two midfielders. But if last season's spending was successful, it's going to be almost impossible to match that if United don't secure their place in next season's Champions League.

They managed to sign A-list stars and top targets last summer, but the chances of bringing players such as Erling Haaland, Declan Rice or Jude Bellingham to Old Trafford without Champions League football to offer are slim to non-existent.

Not only will United suffer financially if they don't play in the Champions League, but they will also be