Despite ongoing takeover talks, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will need to let go of top players in order to afford making big-name signings this summer.
Regardless of whether a takeover occurs or not, The Athletic reports that the Dutchman will have £100 million at his disposal for player recruitment.
After 18 years of ownership, United’s current owners, the Glazer family, are looking to cash in and raise a record-breaking £6 billion for the team.
Last month, offers from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim and British businessman Jim Ratcliffe were submitted, but it is still unclear who will become the new owner of Manchester United.
Financial Fair Play regulations will limit United’s spending, and player sales appear to be their best option right now to be able to afford the elite talent that Ten Hag wants.
The United manager has expressed publicly his desire to bolster his team with elite talent this summer, but he may only be able to bring in one or two high caliber hires.
Given uncertainty surrounding current first choice David De Gea’s contract, which is set to expire this summer, it is believed that the Dutchman will look for a new goalkeeper. A new center forward, midfielder, and winger are also on Ten Hag’s wish list.
Although there is undoubtedly some deadwood in United’s squad, players like Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek seem to be the most likely to be sacrificed in order to raise money.
The United manager has already been questioned regarding summer transfer plans, to which he has responded, “I don’t have an influence on that…also I don’t know.
“The only thing I know is that Man United is one of the biggest clubs and, in terms of fan support, I believe it is among the top two clubs worldwide.
“I believe that this club must contend for the highest international competitions, such as the Champions League and Premier League.
“However, in football you need money to build teams because ultimately your team’s success depends on the quality of its players.
“Everyone is aware that building a squad requires money. Players with high skill levels are expensive.
“This is a project that I and we see. You can make refreshments or strengthen your squad’s needs in a project where you are in the windows to gain more balance and recruit young players.
“But ultimately, we want to compete and eliminate everyone, so we still have a way to go if we want to be in the Champions League.”
The Dutchman has presided over a successful first season in England, leading United to League Cup victory and FA Cup finals. United is also in prime position to finish in the top four with a four-point lead over fifth-placed Liverpool and two games remaining.
Read Also,
UCL qualification is essential to Man Utd transfers and rebuilding – ETH
“Everyone wants to represent Manchester United. There is even more interest now that it appears that we will be playing in the Champions League.”
In order to recruit players to support his rebuilding project at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has emphasized the significance of Champions League qualification.
After placing sixth in the Premier League the previous year, three-time Champions League champions United were forced to settle for Europa League play this year. They haven’t advanced past the quarterfinals of Europe’s top tournament since 2011.
Ten Hag is on track to bring back Champions League football to Old Trafford in his first season in charge, and when United travel to high-flying Brighton on Thursday, live on Sky Sports, they will have the chance to solidify their hold on a top-four finish.
Ten Hag emphasized how important qualifying would be to persuading the necessary standard of player to join the club this summer with the overall goal of guiding United back to winning the Champions League and Premier League.
According to him, “all the big players want to play in the Champions League”. “Manchester United is a major organization. Everyone here seems to want to play for Manchester United, at least during the time I’ve been here.
“Now that it appears that we are in the Champions League, there is even more interest because they know we are in the Champions League and the Premier League at a high level. Therefore, qualification will be crucial.
“In the Champions League, you compete against the best teams in all of Europe, the best coaches, and the best stadiums,” he continued.
“For the players, they compete against the best competitors, and [as a team], you have a better league schedule, which is also significant. Our participation in the Champions League is crucial to this club’s reconstruction.
“The players are aware that they want to win the Premier League and play in the Champions League. Because that is what elite football is all about, we compete for every position and, on the field, for every yard and every duel.”
Inflicting defeat on Ten Hag in his very first game as manager, Brighton is the only away team to have triumphed at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season.
In their most recent FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, United eliminated the Seagulls on penalties to exact revenge for that opening-day loss.
The victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final in February put United on track to win a second trophy this year, and Ten Hag thinks a lot has changed since Brighton, which he credits for his rocky start at Old Trafford.
The United manager continued, “It’s been a while. Even though you don’t want it to happen at the beginning of a process, it can. It’s perfectly normal that no team starts out at full strength.
“I will say that it would be a bad situation if we were playing worse football now than nine, ten months ago. We are moving in the right direction and have made significant progress.
“There is always room for improvement, so I’ll never be satisfied. Being good enough for me is insufficient. Better performance is required, and we must constantly advance.
“We have seen that we are moving in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go. Some teams are further along in the process because they have already been developing for three, four, or five years. When compared to other powerful teams, that is what you currently observe.”
