Man Utd remain their ambition even without trophies last two seasons

The Red Devils have gone two seasons without silverware, and are currently inspiring little confidence, but they maintain that the club are ambitious

Manchester United remain committed to “competing and winning trophies at the highest level”, a club spokesman has said, while the club also intend to continue investing heavily in the squad.

A spokesman said a recent fans' forum: “Everyone at the club, from the owners down, is focused on competing for and winning trophies at the highest level. To do that we have invested heavily in the playing squad and will continue to do so.

“At the same time, the exciting pool of talent coming through from our youth and academy sections is a result of increased investment in this area over the last five years. It's important to note that while our successful commercial operation helps drive that investment, the priority is the focus on achieving success on the pitch.

“Similarly, it is worth noting that we are not looking at or buying players based on their commercial appeal. We agree that recruitment is critical. We are committed to getting this right and there has been huge investment in this area to put our recruitment department into a position to be able to deliver the manager the players he wants. This process is significantly more effective than four or five years ago.”

The statement added in respect of the club's search for a sporting director: “We are continually reviewing and looking at the potential to evolve our structure on the football side. Much of the speculation around this type of role focuses purely on recruitment.

“We've materially expanded our recruitment department in recent years and we believe this runs in an efficient and productive way. Many of the senior staff in these roles have been at the club for over 10 years.

“Recruitment recommendations and decisions are worked on by this department and the manager and his team, not senior management.

“We feel the players signed this summer demonstrate that this approach is the right one and any future appointment would complement this process. Regarding transfer budget, we have invested significantly in the squad and we will continue to do so.”