How much do Man Utd have to spend this summer?

FT Desk

• 31 May 2022 10:15 BST
• 3 min read

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will have a budget of €140 million to spend this summer, according to The Times.

Ten Hag succeeded interim manager Ralf Rangnick as Man Utd’s new permanent manager ahead of the 2022-23 season and the Dutchman has already began planning for the new campaign.

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It is well-accepted that Man Utd need something of a revolution ahead of next season, with Ten Hag needing to buy new players in every department on the pitch.

The first priority is to sign a top-class central midfielder, but Ten Hag is also keen to buy a centre-back, a full-back and attacker at the very minimum.

He will have a modest €140m in order to strengthen the team but will also be able to make use of any funds raised by selling players.

Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Anthony Martial all wish to leave the club and Ten Hag is expected to be happy to sell them if the right offers arrive.

Man Utd endured the worst season in the club’s Premier League history this past season.

They ended the campaign with their lowest points tally, 58, since the Premier League began in 1992. Their previous worst was 64 in 2014.

Not only that, they had fewer wins than any previous season. Their 16 victories were a low mark in the modern era and continued the trend of decline since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

They conceded 57 Premier League goals, another record figure – surpassing the 54 they let in during 2018-19. Only twice had they conceded more than 45.

United’s goal difference of 0 is also their worst-ever in the Premier League era. Their previous worst goal difference was in the 2018-19 season when they ended the campaign on +11.

Ten Hag knows that he has a hell of a lot of work to do to rebuild a team that has not won the Premier League since 2013.