Louis van Gaal expects Manchester United to ‘close the gap’ on Chelsea next season

Louis van Gaal expects Manchester United to be back fighting for the Premier League title next season.

A strong second half to this campaign has lifted Van Gaal’s team to the brink of a top-four finish and a place in the Uefa Champions League next year — a far cry from the disappointment of last season under David Moyes when they finished seventh.

Ahead of Saturday’s home game with West Bromwich Albion, Van Gaal said: “This year we are not challenging but we are very close to second position.

“I think Chelsea are far above other clubs but next year can be different. Next year we will also have a different squad — not only us but Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and the other clubs who are battling for first position. We have seen in the matches between the top clubs this season that it’s not a big gap.”

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Van Gaal believes a busy summer in the transfer market, along with better preparations on this coming summer’s pre-season tour to the United States, will enhance his team’s title bid.

Last close season, United embarked on a gruelling five-city tour of the United States over the summer that proved exhausting and led to United making a terrible start to the campaign, collecting just 13 points from the opening 10 games, their worst opening to a season in 28 years.

This summer, Van Gaal has insisted on United remaining on the west coast of the US, based only in Seattle and San Jose and with far less travelling involved.

“We need better balance in our (team) selection but also Manchester United have adapted to a better (pre-season) preparation,” said Van Gaal.

“We shall have two base camps in the United States so we are not flying between matches, we are going by bus and that’s better.

“We have started very badly this year because when you cut the start off, we shall equalise Chelsea (in the table). So we have to start better.”