Manchester United's struggles in the transfer window have become evident in recent days.
The farcical on-off chase of former West Ham and Stoke forward Marko Arnautovic has co-incided with a host of new names being linked with a move to Old Trafford. Whilst three players - Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia - have been purchased so far, Red Devils' manager Erik ten Hag is in dire need of further reinforcements.
The club's chief transfer target all summer has been Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong but complications remain over that deal, including a stand-off between the Spanish giants and the Dutchman over unpaid wages.
The uncertainty surrounding the De Jong deal means United are now desperately trying to try and pin down alternatives although they are in a race against the clock with barely three weeks until the summer window shuts. Florent Malouda, the former Chelsea and France player, believes United lack the stability and organisation that the rest of their main rivals have.
"It's really strange when it comes to Manchester United at the moment. When you look at the value of all of the players they have at the club, there's some real quality in there. But they're just completely lacking in confidence, and that lack in confidence comes from the lack of results. If you look at their squad, they have some top players and great prospects," said the former midfielder, speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at the launch of their 5-A-Side bet on Chelsea v Tottenham.
"But every time a manager comes in, he's immediately in the hot seat. There's an immediate pressure to get the club back to the highest level, but in terms of results, things have been shaky. And even if you wanted to go out and strengthen, even if you had money to spend, it's not always easy to just go out and bring the best players in; we're seeing that with Frenkie de Jong.
"It's going to be difficult for them to finish in the top five, put it that way. They're already late to the party this season; they were early in bringing in the manager, but with the way pre-season has gone, and the poor start they had to the season means, for me, they will struggle to finish in that top five. All the other top teams have been very busy in the transfer market, have had decent pre-seasons and show a certain level of stability. I just don't see that with Man United this season."
As well as the plug being pulled on any tangible interest in Arnautovic, United also suffered a blow when another target, PSV's Cody Gakpo, said he was aware of the transfer interest in his services but that he remains committed to the cause with his current club.
"I don't think I have said anywhere that I am leaving, so there is definitely a chance that I will stay. I'm open for a cup of coffee with the management - or coffee for them and water for me. We'll see how it goes," said the 23-year-old.
