The Manchester United boss indicated that teams with the experience of consistently finishing within the coveted Champions League positions can only be considered as the established 'top four.'
That would suggest the champions themselves, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal making up the rest of the group - meaning no place for local rivals Manchester City.
"I don't think there's a doubt who are in the top four, not in my mind," Ferguson told Sky Sports News.
"I mean the top four have been well established and have got all the right criteria - experience, quality, good stadia, good squads - to me that top four will still be hard to beat."
Ferguson is bidding for a record fourth straight Premier League title this season but has had to rebuild his team following the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez to Manchester City.
However, the veteran manager is confident he has replaced the duo with capable players and has high hopes for the younger players in his squad.
He said: "It's a fresh start for this season, it's a big challenge for us and for our young players who want to do well.
"In terms of the young players improving, and they are improving, there are good signs there so I think we've a very good strong squad."
Source: SKY_Sports
