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Louis van Gaal still wants a star-quality creative player to add to his £80m summer investment.

But the United boss says it won’t be Cristiano Ronaldo.

Despite bringing his Old Trafford spend in just 12 months to £235m by adding Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay and Matteo Darmian to last season’s squad, the Dutchman still insists the Reds lack a dangerous imaginative influence who can cut open opposition defending.

Van Gaal believes that, in England, champions Chelsea and City have the players who tick the boxes - and at Champions League level Barcelona’s stellar names have the players to see off opponents.

But United still do not have that final killer touch.

Despite two summers of rebuilding work, he says this is still not ‘his’ team as he planned it.

“No, it’s not my Manchester United. Why? Because we have to look for more balance in the team and for more creativity,” van Gaal said in America.

“Chelsea have (Eden) Hazard. He can always make goals, he can always make an action and decide a goal. Manchester City have (Sergio) Aguero, it’s the same type. Barcelona has Messi, Neymar and Suarez.

“We as Manchester United have to compete with these clubs. So we have to look also for that kind of players.

“We can use much more creativity. We look for more creativity. You need creative players. For example, Chelsea have Hazard, Willian and Oscar. There is a lot of creativity there. And you need that because you have to disorganise (teams that park) the bus. Next year there might be more teams who are parking the bus.

“Now we have Wayne, Mata, Depay, Young, Januzaj, Wilson, Herrera. So you can expect from Young, not that he is a Hazard. You have to compare. Young has had a fantastic season but he is not a Neymar and we have to compete with that kind of class.”

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Former Old Trafford fan favourite Ronaldo ticks the boxes in terms of a match-winning genius in the Messi, Hazard and Aguero mould.

But Van Gaal says Real Madrid’s 2013 and 2014 World Player of the Year Ballon d’Or winner won’t be returning to United.

“It is not possible,” said the Reds manager.

But would he like him?

“Yeah, of course. But that’s not possible. Why not? Because you have the club (Real Madrid), Ronaldo and then you have Manchester United and how much Manchester United want to spend.”

So with two weeks to go to the opening of the Premier League season and 38 days before the close of the transfer window is the search still on for that missing quality?

“Of course. Because when it is possible to buy for a reasonable price players from that level we shall do that,” he said.

“With Schneiderlin, with Schweinsteiger, with Depay, with Darmian we are better than last year. But we have to be much better and then I say to you that is the creativity of my players in the front.

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“We at Manchester United buy only players who can contribute to our level. You can write every player that you want, every name that you can say, but it is not easy as you think,”

Van Gaal added: “You have seen that Depay is a talent, much more than that, at his age, maybe the best talent. That was voted by the media or maybe the trainer coaches at the World Cup.

“Darmian is from a small club but he also was at AC Milan so is a late developer but I think he can contribute.

“Also Schweinsteiger can contribute as a senior player with a lot of quality.

“Schneiderlin has to prove it because he was in Southampton where maybe he was the leader now he is here and I believe in him that is why he is here.

“But I want more players but it is not always possible.”