Erik ten Hag has already opted to sell five Manchester United players as he seeks to restructure his roster for the upcoming season.
The Dutchman was named the new manager of the Red Devils last week and has been given a three-year deal to give him time to turn things around at the club. Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, the club has had a horrible season, and their recent loss to Arsenal showed the huge adjustments that are needed at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag is likely to receive significant support over the summer in order to set the wheels in motion for the club’s recovery, especially given that monies were set aside for him in January. Though the transfer budget alone may not be enough to cover all of the newcomers that the 52-year-old desires, he is willing to sell five players to supplement his budget.
Ten Hag is reported to be able to spend between £100 million and £150 million this summer but is willing to listen to bids for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Phil Jones, and Anthony Martial to supplement his money. The group of players appears to have been deemed surplus to requirements by their soon-to-be new leader, however, whether any of them receive offers remains to be seen.
Despite joining United from Crystal Palace in 2019, Wan-Bissaka has not been a regular starter since Rangnick took over. Martial is already playing abroad, having joined Sevilla on loan, albeit he has struggled to establish himself in La Liga, failing to score in eight league outings.
Jones and Bailly’s departures will come as no surprise to any fan, given that neither has played consistently this season. It also opens the door for another central defender to join the club, which is said to be on Ten Hag’s wish list moving into the summer.
A striker and a central midfielder are also on the Dutchman’s wish list. Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, and Paul Pogba are all out of contract at the end of the season, leaving both positions with insufficient depth.
When Ten Hag arrives, Cristiano Ronaldo will be the club’s sole out and out no.9, and his forward options could deteriorate if he is unable to persuade Marcus Rashford to commit his future to the club. This season, the academy product hasn’t been blazing on all cylinders, with rumors stating that the England international is considering leaving United.
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Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been listed as one of the strikers being investigated by the Red Devils, though the north London club will almost certainly want an exorbitant cost for his services, as they did with Manchester City last summer. However, if Ten Hag is able to part ways with the five players named above, he may be able to afford to sign the world-class striker.
