Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at West Ham on Sunday was further evidence that more quality and depth will be required in the summer transfer window if Erik ten Hag wants to catch Manchester City and Arsenal next season. The Red Devils are facing an agonising sprint to the finish in their quest for Champions League qualification after dropping six points in the space of four days.
While United remain ahead of Liverpool in the table by just a single point, Ten Hag's side are under pressure to win three of their final four matches to stay ahead of the Reds.
And if United were to somehow fluff their lines, it could have damaging implications for their summer transfer business when they will seek to make several top-level acquisitions.
On the flip side, Liverpool could also stumble into problems training to attain top targets should they fail to qualify for Europe's elite club competition if they were to finish fifth.
Meanwhile, Newcastle could be set to reap the rewards of Champions League football for the first time since the 2002/03 season as they look to continue building on the excellent work of Eddie Howe thus far.
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