LONDON ¨C Manchester United¡¯s current squad lacks the maturity required to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title, although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer¡¯s players have potential, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

United has won the league 20 times but hasn¡¯t lifted the trophy since Alex Ferguson¡¯s final season in 2012-13, and Wenger suggested the club have a long way to go before attempting to reach the heights it did under his great rival.

¡°When you see United, they are one of the examples where there¡¯s a potential. But they have not found a collective way,¡± Wenger, who is reportedly set to join FIFA in a technical role, told Qatar-based broadcaster beIN Sports.

¡°Maybe these players are not mature enough to carry the team play of a team like United, altogether. That¡¯s the question mark now. You feel there is something coming out but it¡¯s not ready.

¡°When you watch them play, they are not a candidate to fight for the championship. Will they emulate what Giggs, Scholes and Beckham did over a number of years? I¡¯m not convinced.¡±

Former striker Andy Cole said supporters must be patient as United, which was sixth last season, works on plugging the gap to defending champion Manchester City and Liverpool.

¡°I believe we¡¯re still a few years away,¡± Cole, who won five league titles and the 1999 Champions League during six years at Old Trafford, told Sky Sports.

¡°We¡¯ve got to ... keep bringing in better players and try and improve season by season, because the two teams at the top ¡ª Liverpool and City ¡ª they¡¯re pulling away from everyone.

¡°I was in a team at United where we were doing exactly the same thing and in the end, everyone else closed the gap.¡±

United faces Leicester in the league on Saturday.