Revealed: Ten Hag has vetoed the sales of two Man Utd stars
Robin Bairner
- 22 Jul 2022 10:25 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has not had the ideal start to life at Old Trafford, with his new club making slow progress in the transfer market this summer.
Adding to Ten Hag’s issues is the Cristiano Ronaldo problem. The Portugal striker has not started training with the team for pre-season and missed the tour to Thailand and Australia, officially due to family reasons. There is no doubt, though, that Ronaldo is pushing to leave the club.
And the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s actions are having a knock-on effect on Man Utd’s transfer plans.
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Although the board do not know whether they need to look for a replacement for Ronaldo or not due to the player’s uncertain future, Ten Hag’s hand has been forced into retaining one player who appeared destined to depart the club this summer.
Anthony Martial has stepped up impressively in Ronaldo’s absence after an entirely forgettable 2021/22 season, during which he lost his form and confidence. Given the chance in friendly matches, though, the France international forward has come back towards his best level, scoring three times in three games.
While the former Monaco forward’s long-term future at the club remains up in the air, his current form means that he is essential to Man Utd as they build towards the opening game of the season. With that in mind, it is little surprise that he is one of two players that The Sun reports Ten Hag has vetoed the sale of.
Ten Hag wants to keep Van de Beek
The other player to fall into this category is Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek, who excelled at Ajax under the manager’s guidance.
Ten Hag, though, issued a warning to the player that he has to “prove himself” all over again.
“It's the same for every player, he has to do it by himself,” the manager said. “Me as a manager and the coaching staff around him can do everything to set the right conditions so he can perform but in the end the player has to do it by himself.
“They have to take responsibility for their performance. Donny has the capability. I have seen it but he has to prove himself.”
Van de Beek and Martial both appear to have earned that opportunity to prove themselves to Ten Hag at Man Utd once again.
