Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia

Erik ten Hag learning the hard way after Man Utd's double £136m transfer blow

mirror.co.uk, 14 June 2022, 04:00
Erik ten Hag will have been under no illusion about the scale of the task facing him at Manchester United and has already suffered a double transfer blow this summer Erik ten Hag is expected to lead a major rebuild at Manchester United

Erik ten Hag has been given a brutal introduction to the scale of the rebuild task facing him at Manchester United.

The former Ajax boss has been tasked with reversing almost a decade of decline into mediocrity after agreeing a three-year contract at Old Trafford. Ralf Rangnick's interim stint in the hotseat ended in disaster, with the Red Devils falling some way short of a top-four finish.

An extensive squad overhaul is on the cards, with a host of fringe players and underperforming stars tipped for an exit. The new Red Devils manager will reportedly be handed a transfer budget in excess of £100 million, with various reports claiming the Dutchman will raid his former club for emerging talents such as Antony and Jurrien Timber.

Frenkie de Jong appears to be ten Hag's number one target in this window, with the pursuit of the ex-Ajax star already becoming something of a saga. Barcelona's financial woes has opened the door for a potential sale of the Netherlands international, althought the latest reports the clubs are still some way apart in their valuations.

Following years of regular complaints about the 'McFred' partnership, the Paul Pogba debate and the ageing Nemanja Matic, the arrival of de Jong would be a remarkable coup. A new central midfielder has been required for several seasons, and the 25-year-old rose to prominence under ten Hag during Ajax's remarkable run to the Champions League semi-final in 2019.

However, a new forward is also on the shortlist this summer and it is in this department that ten Hag has already been given a harsh reality check over his United ambitions. The Red Devils have seen rivals Liverpool and Manchester City strengthen up top with the soon-to-be announced deal for Darwin Nunez, alongside the £51million blockbuster arrival of Erling Haaland.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Erling Haaland win the Premier League's Golden Boot award in his first season with Manchester City? Comment below!

United were inevitably linked with both, and in seasons gone by would likely have swatted aside interest from their closest adversaries. The return of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer and the potential deal for de Jong proves the Red Devils still hold significant sway despite their current plight.

However, ten Hag's ambition of toppling the eras built by Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp has suffered an immediate £136 million setback. United finished 35 points adrift of the summit last season, and so far it looks like both of the top two will enter the new campaign even stronger.

Liverpool look to have moved swiftly to replace Sadio Mane with a deal worth up to £85million for in-demand Benfica star Nunez. The potential club-record deal is a statement of intent for a 22-year-old who scored 34 times in a breakout season in Portugal.

City scored 99 goals in the Premier League en route to the title last season without a recognised centre-forward. Now, the champions boast the coveted boy wonder with an astonishing record of almost a goal in every game for Borussia Dortmund.

The current chasm between United and these two sides is so vast that no-one is expecting ten Hag to bridge that gap anytime soon. The immediate remit for the new manager will have to be returning the club to the Champions League.

However, Guardiola and Klopp have built up a sizeable headstart over ten Hag, and neither show any sign of letting up in the near future. The summer setbacks for Haaland and Nunez will not define United's season, but it has provided an early reminder to the new manager just how far the Red Devils have fallen.

Show more

Top News

18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Luka Modric has reportedly decided whether he intends to remain at Real Madrid past the end of the season. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Leicester player Hamza Choudhury was mobbed by fans after arriving for his first senior international call-up. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is allegedly the subject of surprise interest from a Bundesliga club. 18 March 2025 talksport.com A brand-new competition will be taking place this summer, with some of the world's biggest clubs eyeing glory in the USA. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Ola Aina had a hilarious response to discovering he would be sharing a bed with Alex Iwobi on international duty. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Arsenal have added Carabao Cup winning Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to their list of summer transfer targets, talkSPORT understands. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Vying for a place in the UEFA Nations League's top tier, Scotland and Greece will meet for the first leg of their promotion/relegation playoff on Thursday. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Troy Deeney has reiterated his belief that Mohamed Salah is 'not world class' after his Wembley woes. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Papiss Cisse has been convinced to come out of retirement at the age of 39 by a former Newcastle teammate. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams at opposite ends of Group C in the third round of AFC World Cup qualifiers will clash on Thursday as leaders Japan face Bahrain. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Danny Drinkwater was once given just an hour to leave Chelsea and led to a bust-up with the manager. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have no hope of clawing back their 12-point Premier League deficit to Liverpool despite the Reds' recent problems, Gunners expert Charles Watts believes. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Bayern Munich are reportedly among the clubs who have discovered the asking price of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are one of three Premier League clubs who could reportedly pip rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Sporting Lisbon's in-demand striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brazil and Colombia go head-to-head in the 38th instalment of this international fixture in Brasilia on Thursday night. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk There will be no return to the Brazil fold for Neymar in their clash with Colombia on Thursday night, as he has pulled out of the upcoming squad with injury. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona have all reportedly suffered a major blow in their pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak ahead of the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Thomas Tuchel not only raised eyebrows with his selections in his first England squad - but also with his omissions. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Paris Saint-Germain have been given the green light to reschedule a Ligue 1 fixture that could give them the edge against Aston Villa in the Champions League. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes that Jack Grealish "has to accept responsibility" and may need to "win the trust" of both Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel if he wishes to get his career back on track for club and country. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Italy and Germany will continue their long-standing footballing rivalry when they meet in a two-legged quarter-final in the UEFA Nations League this week, starting with a showdown in Milan on Thursday. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa are reportedly prepared to cash in on midfielder Enzo Barrenechea during the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 talksport.com There will be no Premier League football this weekend as the top-flight pauses for a scheduled mid-March break. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal intend to begin formal discussions with Bukayo Saka over a new contract ahead of his comeback from a long-term hamstring injury, according to a report. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Abdukodir Khusanov was welcomed home in style as he received a £135,000 Mercedes upon returning to Uzbekistan for international duty. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest are reportedly ready to fend off Liverpool if they express an interest in one of their star players. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Kosovo will host Iceland at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri on Thursday evening in the first of their two-legged matchup in the UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation playoffs. 18 March 2025 talksport.com Next season The Premier League will be provided match balls by Puma, a decision that is likely to be an unpopular one with Mikel Arteta. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly prepared to let one of their first-team midfielders leave the club in the summer transfer window. 18 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hong Kong and Macao return to international action for the first time in 2025 on Wednesday, when they meet in a friendly at Mong Kok Stadium.