Burkina Faso
Czech Republic
Friendly Games
Lithuania
Montenegro
Nigeria
North Macedonia
United Arab Emirates

Ten Hag arrives at Lowry Hotel with 5 issues to address in first week at Man Utd

mirror.co.uk, 29 June 2022, 20:22
The Dutchman has had an extremely busy start to life at Manchester United both from a professional and personal viewpoint and still has a few glaring problems to solve as soon as possible

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been busy at work during his first week as the club's new head coach.

The Dutchman was confirmed as Ralf Rangnick 's permanent successor back in April - and got a headstart in the role having cancelled his contract with former club Ajax early. However, it has only been across the last week that he has been able to work at close quarters with his players - those who were not called on international duty throughout the summer - having returned to training at Carrington.

Ten Hag took his first training session on Monday and is now settling in at the famous Lowry Hotel where he is currently staying in Manchester. It is understood his stay at the hotel Jose Mourinho called home during his stint as manager is temporary as he searches for a permanent home.

He was pictured arriving at his temporary residence on Wednesday where he has the perfect opportunity to work through some of the conundrums that he has stumbled upon during his first few days with the Red Devils.

Mirror Football looks at the issues he will be aiming to address and consider during his time away from the training pitch in his first week.

1) Convince De Jong to join

Heading into the job at Old Trafford, Ten Hag will have already had a number of transfer targets in-mind. One of those names on his shortlist was compatriot Frenkie de Jong.

A deal appears close with the Red Devils having agreed a fee with Barcelona for his signature.

It is now down to Ten Hag to convince the midfielder to complete a switch to Old Trafford and should he do that then he will finally be securing the signing of one of his priority targets of the summer.

Do you think Erik Ten Hag will be a success at Man Utd? Share your thoughts in the comments below

2) Wrap up Malacia transfer

Whilst De Jong appears likely to become a Red Devil sooner rather than later, he could very quickly be joined by one of his international colleagues - Tyrell Malacia.

The young Dutchman initially looked to be on the verge of a move to French outfit Lyon but United swooped in to hijack the deal.

A fee has already been agreed with Feyenoord, so it is now a case of getting the deal over the line - something Ten Hag will be keen to do this week. He has long been an admirer of the full-back and was keen to sign him for Ajax previously.

3) Decide on left-backs

With Malacia set to arrive at Old Trafford, his signing leaves huge questions over the futures of a number of current players already at the club. The defender bloats the club's current left-back options with both Luke Shaw and Alex Telles already at Old Trafford.

It appears highly unlikely that Ten Hag will be able to offer first-team football to the trio throughout the campaign. The Manchester Evening News have already suggested that he does not see Telles as a first-team option which could lead to his departure.

But Luke Shaw is also entering another interesting stage of his Old Trafford career with Malacia's arrival leaving Ten Hag to consider where he sees the England international fitting into his plans.

4) Work out next move

With deals for De Jong and Malacia in place, Ten Hag will have kicked-off the club's summer business excellently. It is not expected to end there though with a number of holes still needing to be filled.

Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, whilst Ajax pair Antony and Lisandro Martinez are under consideration.

The Red Devils certainly have money to spend this summer, but it is unlikely that they have an endless pot of resources with Mirror Football understanding Ten Hag was given a £120million budget.

With that in mind, the Dutchman may have some big decisions to make regarding his priorities with a versatile attacker set to be the next port of call.

5) Run rule over youngsters

It remains to be seen how many new faces will be welcomed to Old Trafford this summer but some at Old Trafford will be hoping that there aren't many.

There is currently a clutch of young players attempting to make their breakthroughs into the first team in the upcoming season including James Garner, Hannibal Mejbri, Shola Shoretire and Alvaro Fernandez.

Should there not be a route through to the first-team then loan deals appear to be the best way for those aforementioned youngsters to continue their respective developments.

The Manchester Evening News have reported that full-back Fernandez could be amongst those to leave on loan with Championship clubs keen, and he won't be the only one.

Ten Hag must then decide which he is willing to let go, and which he would like to keep at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future.

Show more

Top News

27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Championship leaders Leeds United will resume their promotion bid with a home game against Swansea City on Saturday. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Watford will resume their Championship playoff bid when they lock horns with Plymouth Argyle in Saturday's clash at Vicarage Road. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has confirmed his starting XI for Thursday's La Liga clash with Osasuna, with a decision on Robert Lewandowski's involvement being made. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic are set to welcome top-six contenders Hearts at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Middlesbrough will resume their Championship playoff bid when they welcome Oxford United to the Riverside Stadium for Saturday's contest. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk This weekend's Major League Soccer schedule kicks off with a clash of the Eastern Conference heavyweights at Chase Stadium, where Inter Miami will play host to Philadelphia Union. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Jamie Carragher's reaction to Trent Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool exit didn't sit well with talkSPORT's Darren Bent. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will reportedly face competition from Liverpool to sign in-demand Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso during the summer transfer window. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to snap a six-match winless sequence in the Eredivisie, PEC Zwolle host second-bottom RKC Waalwijk in Saturday's gameweek 27 contest at MAC³PARK Stadion. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly moved closer to reaching a major contract breakthrough in conversations with star forward Mohamed Salah. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh off the back of suffering their first defeat of the 2025 MLS campaign, DC United will be looking to bounce back when they play host to Columbus Crew at Audi Field on Saturday. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Antony has dropped a major hint regarding his future at Manchester United, with the attacker suggesting that he will not be returning to the 20-time English champions at the end of the campaign. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Europe-chasing NEC aim for back-to-back Eredivisie wins for the first time since January when they host Champions League hopefuls AZ Alkmaar in Saturday's gameweek 27 fixture at Goffertstadion. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Liverpool are confident of reaching an agreement to extend Mohamed Salah's stay at the club, talkSPORT understands. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are among four Blancos players at the heart of a UEFA investigation ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Arsenal. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Udinese defender Oumar Solet during this summer's transfer window. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Facing a make-or-break situation in their faltering bid for the playoffs, Norwich City will host top-six occupants West Bromwich Albion at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon in a Championship match. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Seeking to pick up a fourth win on the spin in the MLS for the first time since September 2022, Nashville SC go head to head with FC Cincinnati at Geodis Park on Sunday morning. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Saturday afternoon in the Eredivisie brings us a crucial match in the relegation scrap, with Willem II playing host to Almere City at Koning Willem II Stadion. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal has opened up on transfer interest from fellow Premier League clubs Fulham and Everton. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Plymouth Argyle CEO Andrew Parkinson insists Wayne Rooney's doomed appointment was not 'for profile reasons'. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is back training on the grass at London Colney as he enters the final stages of his recovery from a hamstring injury. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Looking to extend their unbeaten run to a sensational 26 matches in the second tier, Burnley will welcome playoff-chasing Bristol City to Turf Moor in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United and Aston Villa are reportedly among a number of clubs keeping tabs on the situation of Noni Madueke at Chelsea. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Premier League rivals Brighton and Nottingham Forest will meet in the FA Cup for the first time ever in their quarter-final clash this weekend. 27 March 2025 talksport.com Liverpool fans may have to see Trent Alexander-Arnold in Real Madrid colours even sooner than they think. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly laid out their transfer demands for midfielder Kobbie Mainoo ahead of his possible exit from Old Trafford this summer. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fallen giants Juventus start the post-Thiago Motta era on Saturday evening, when they welcome Genoa to Turin. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Sunderland continue their push for promotion to the Premier League this weekend, as they host Millwall in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. 27 March 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Seeking to boost their hopes of qualifying for Europe, Wolfsburg welcome relegation-threatened Heidenheim to Volkswagen Arena for a Bundesliga clash on Saturday afternoon.