As the Manchester United manager search continues, Fabrizio Romano reports that Erik ten Hag wants to be “100% involved on present and future transfer strategy” if he is to take the reigns at Old Trafford at the end of the 2021/22 season.
The Ajax manager has emerged as the frontrunner to takeover from current manager Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford once the season concludes. The Dutchman has helped guide the Dutch champions to four points clear at the top of the Eredivisie with six games of the campaign left to play.
Erik ten Hag to Be Involved in Transfers if he is appointed Manchester United Manager
What This Means for Manchester United
Manchester United have a number of high profile players out of contract, most notably of these is midfielder Paul Pogba who was signed from Juventus for a then-record fee of £89 million back in 2016. Other notable contracts expiring this summer are Jesse Lingaard and Edinson Cavani with both players looking to be on their way out of the club once their respective contracts expire.
The Red Devils have also recently signed star man Bruno Fernandes to a new contract, tying the Portuguese midfielder to the club until 2026. The club are also reportedly looking to open up discussions with left back Luke Shaw over a new contract.
Manchester United academy product Marcus Rashford also appears to be evaluating his future at the club after falling out of favour with current boss Rangnick. Rashford may be handed a fresh chance under a new manager, however he could be a high-profile departure from Old Trafford in the summer. As the Manchester United manager search goes on, Rashford’s future remains uncertain.
Who Could Ten Hag Target?
A name that seems like a most likely fit, especially considering the potential departure of Paul Pogba, is Ajax’s own Ryan Gravenberch. The 19 year-old is in high demand following a stellar season in the Eredivisie with Bayern Munich rumoured to be close to signing the midfielder. Perhaps Ten Hag could persuade the Dutch International to choose Old Trafford instead of the Allianz Arena.
Even before the potential departure of Pogba the club had looked to be in the market for midfielders, while the Donny van de Beek experiment looked to not pan out. While van de Beek could be handed a new lease of life under his former-Ajax boss Ten Hag, the club also has been linked with the likes of West Ham’s Declan Rice and Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips recently.
Another player linked with a potential move to United this summer is highly-rated Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, who could be brought in to replace Uruguay compatriot Edinson Cavani, who looks likely to leave the club. The 22 year-old has been in fine form this season, scoring 21 goals in 23 games for the Portuguese club and it’s looking like he could be on the move before the 2022/23 season begins.
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