Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has laid down the gauntlet by challenging the club's transfer chiefs to bring in the players that he needs.

Mourinho has stressed over the past week that he is still two players short heading into the new season, having so far sign Diogo Dalot, Lee Grant and midfielder Fred.

A new centre-back appears to be a top priority for the Portuguese, with Harry Maguire, Toby Alderweireld and Yerry Mina heavily linked, while another midfielder is also believed to have been targeted.

The former Chelsea boss has been left frustrated by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's inability to lure new recruits to Old Trafford, and concedes that his side may be in for a "difficult season" if things do not change before Thursday's deadline.

"My CEO has known what I want for quite a long time. He knows what I want," he told MUTV. "I know that he tries his best for me. I still have a few days to wait to see what is going to happen.

"The other clubs that compete with us, they are really strong, or they already have fantastic teams and squads like Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City... or they are investing massively, like, for example, Liverpool, who are buying everything and everybody.

"So if we don't make our team better it will be a difficult season for us."

United lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Sunday evening to conclude their turbulent pre-season campaign.