Man Utd takeover: Ten Hag makes summer transfer confession

Robin Bairner

• 4 May 2023 07:32 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag admits that he is uncertain how much money he will have to spend on transfers in the summer.

The Dutchman is in that dark over the takeover of the club, but has warned whoever owns the club in the summer that investment in the squad will be needed to progress the team.

In his first season in charge at Old Trafford, Ten Hag has led Man Utd to the Carabao Cup and also the FA Cup final. Crucially, though, United are firmly in the top four of the Premier League table, but the ex-Ajax boss says that if they are to take another leap forward to challenge for the title, he needs backed financially.

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Speaking to Sky Sports, he was asked if he has been told that he has the funds to complete the summer deals he wishes.

“No, I don’t have. I don’t have influence on that, I don’t have… also I don’t know,” he admitted.

“The only thing what I know is that Man Utd is one of the biggest clubs and I think it’s among maybe (the) two biggest clubs in the world from a fanbase perspective.

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“So, I think this club has to compete for the highest in the world, so Champions League, Premier League.

“But in football you need funds to construct squads because in the end of the day the level from your players makes if you are successful or not.”

Ten Hag’s Man Utd summer shopping list

Ten Hag is believed to have significant ambitions in the forthcoming transfer market.

Man Utd will seek a centre forward as they still do not have a full-time replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo in place after he left the club by mutual consent in November 2022 following a controversial interview. Wout Weghorst arrived on loan from Burney but is nothing more than a stop-gap solution designed to see them through until the end of the season.

Ten Hag is also thought to want a central midfielder in the mould of Frenkie de Jong, the Barcelona star he chased so intently last summer.

Defensive reinforcements are also on the cards, with a right-back and a centre-back liable to be signed. Former Ajax player Jurrien Timber is one of the players linked with the Red Devils in this regard.