Erik ten Hag is confident he can take Manchester United back to the top of the Premier League – if he’s backed to compete with some of the big spenders in the division.

The Dutchman had to make do with three loan signings in the January transfer window as United cut their cloth after a £225million spend in the summer.

But the rest of the league splashed record sums, led once again by Chelsea, and the finance involved has transformed the picture, even in the six months Ten Hag has spent in England.

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After several years of intense competition between Manchester City and Liverpool, the table has a different look this season, with Arsenal top and Newcastle in the top four.

United are within seven points of the Gunners, but Ten Hag knows his squad still needs more investment, particularly when it comes to improving the depth available to him.

“We want to restore Manchester United, we need top players but also double (in) the position because we want to act in so many leagues, so many competitions,” he said. “We have certain positions we have a lack of quality and that can’t be, if you want to compete for the highest.”

United are still better off than many expected when Ten Hag’s first season began, especially when the first two games saw calamitous defeats to Brighton and Brentford.

In the 53-year-old’s introductory press conference as United manager in May, he was asked whether the league was a closed shop while Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp remained in charge of Manchester City and Liverpool. He insisted then that “eras can come to an end”, but the speed of change has still been surprising.

City were showing signs of decline even before Monday’s charges from the Premier League, while Liverpool are 10th in the Premier League, 14 points behind United.

Ten Hag expects a revival at Anfield, but he has also seen the playing field levelled as a result of investment, turning a two-horse race into a league where he believes up to eight clubs can now challenge for the title.

“I think they (Liverpool) will fight back, they will come back, but also what you see is the dynamic that other clubs are also investing financially but also they have quality in managers, players, getting good players in,” said Ten Hag.

“So the competition is really tough which is good for the Premier League. For a long time I think it was always a two-horse race but now I think it’s a six, seven, eight-horse race and it’s about strategy but also, of course, about finance.”

United intend to be active again in the summer window, with a striker their priority and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen a top target.

But the extent of the business they can do might depend on the sale of the club, with the Raine Group seeking bids for control or a minority stake by next week.

Ten Hag insists the uncertainty around the Glazers’ future stewardship of the club has had no impact on his role and that he is focusing on signing the best players he can.

“I’m here to manage the team, to get the best out of them, and of course I have a job in bringing the right players in,” he said.

“Of course I have to be in debate with the management of the club, the board of the club, and we have a lot of communication about that. But I’m not here for the finance, I’m here to achieve the sporting aims and goals.

“I’m planning, I always go for the highest, so we go for the best, the best we can get, but also we have plan B.”

One area United do have depth in is central defence, but club captain Harry Maguire is down the pecking order and he could look to leave for more first-team football this summer.