Manchester United’s Rebuild Under Ten Hag: Who Are the Potential Targets for the Next Phase?
Erik ten Hag invited Manchester United’s recruitment team to Amsterdam around this time last year to begin planning the first part of his Old Trafford reconstruction.
Less than 24 hours after winning his third Eredivisie title with Ajax, he met at his agency’s offices in the city’s south with assistants Mitchell van der Gaag and Steve McClaren, as well as United football director John Murtough, to discuss targets such as Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, and Antony. Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo were also named.
The overarching subject of the discussion was that, while there would be money to spend in Ten Hag’s first summer, he wouldn’t have an infinite budget, and some elements of the squad would have to be prioritized over others.
In the end, United spent more than they had expected, thanks in part to Ajax’s increased valuation of Antony over the transfer window, but other items on Ten Hag’s to-do list got unchecked.
Ten Hag has established himself as the club’s most powerful figure during a (relatively) successful first season, which might culminate with a second trophy if United defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup final (live on ESPN+ in the United States on June 3). However, the administration’s statement on his summer transfer plans will be similar to the one delivered in Amsterdam a year ago. There is money for some additional players, but not nearly as many as Ten Hag requires.
According to ESPN, United are working with a budget of between £100 million and £150 million, which will be augmented by monies collected by departures. The recruitment department believes that the squad needs to be “tweaked” with two or three new additions in crucial spots, even though Ten Hag will want more.
Murtough’s duty, along with deputy Andy O’Boyle, will be to find a middle ground between Ten Hag’s expectations and the reality of the club’s financial condition, which will be influenced in part by the need to navigate UEFA’s financial fair play laws.
Ten Hag got his way with Antony last summer, but only because recruitment officials anticipated they would face more competition for the Brazilian winger later on. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis in collaboration with Dominic Jordan, director of data science, and Steve Brown, head of recruitment operations, and there is no certainty Ten Hag will get his way with each target.
Following a season in which United failed to score goals, the aim this summer will be to buy a striker. There is interest in Harry Kane, but there is also a reluctance to enter into lengthy negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy for fear of delaying any transaction until closer to the Sept. 1 transfer deadline. Ten Hag’s goal is to have players signed before the preseason tour of the United States begins on July 20 with a flight to New York, and he doesn’t want to leave anything to the last minute.
Aside from Kane, Victor Osimhen is being tracked, but Napoli do not want to lose their outstanding player, and if he becomes available, he will face stiff competition from Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Bayern Munich is also interested in Kane, as Sadio Mane is poised to leave after only one season in Germany. Both Kane and Osimhen would command fees over £100 million, thus Randal Kolo Muani, Dusan Vlahovic, Tammy Abraham, and Brian Brobbey are being considered.
The same is true for midfielders. Ten Hag admires De Jong, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham, but they are not inexpensive. Borussia Dortmund are demanding around £130 million for Bellingham, which would almost entirely cover United’s summer budget, while West Ham are seeking more than £100 million.
Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea are less expensive options, while Adrien Rabiot, who was close to signing last summer, is out of contract at Juventus. James Maddison and Alex MacAllister have also been discussed, while United haven’t ruled out signing Marcel Sabitzer on a permanent basis, despite his season-ending knee injury.
According to insiders, Ten Hag believes he needs another midfielder to compete with Christian Eriksen, who turned 31 in February, but the amount of money available depends on how much is spent elsewhere.
