Manchester United: Robin van Persie insists Louis van Gaal will spend £200m in the summer transfer window

Robin van Persie has revealed that Louis van Gaal is set to spend upwards of £200m in the summer, to chase down Chelsea for the league title next season.

Manchester United finished the season in fourth spot, 17 points adrift of the Blues, who had a comfortable eight-point lead over second placed Manchester City and 12 points over third-placed Arsenal.

United have been in good form through the length of the season, but shuddered at the end, losing three games on the bounce and relinquishing any chance of catching the Gunners for a top-three finish.

The Red Devils had to pay over the odds to secure a Champions League spot, with the Dutchman completing massive signings of Angel di Maria, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw, along with an expensive loan deal for Radamel Falcao, which did not work out as expected.

United therefore need a striker, with Falcao having left the club and Van Persie's future under a shroud.

They are also in the market for a goalkeeper to replace David de Gea, who is set to leave the club for Real Madrid and are also keeping tabs on a defender to marshal their backline and a holding midfielder by the likes of Ilkay Gundogan.

"United spent £200m on players last year and they are going to spend another £200m this summer so we will have a team that can compete for the title," the Dutch striker said.

However, the player was coy about his future and revealed that he wants to play day in and day out, something he needs to discuss with the manager before taking a step in the summer.

"It is my ambition to play as many games as possible (next season). I feel fitter than ever. And I know that the more games I play, the more it will help me prepare for the European Championships [in France] next summer. I will take everything into consideration when I decide on my future and I know I have to be realistic about the situation," he concluded.