Ten Hag under fire as 'little positivity' emerges over big money Man Utd transfer

Suraj Radia

10 Oct 2024 20:00 BST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Man Utd, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

More of Erik ten Hag’s transfer business is coming under fire at Manchester United after there was ‘little positivity’ about a summer signing as well as his treatment of another arrival.

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United have spent more than €650 million on players since the arrival of Ten Hag in 2022, although the vast majority of his signings have proven underwhelming thus far.

However, the arrival of directors Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dan Ashworth this year brought in optimism at Old Trafford, with a number of young players targeted for fees United deemed under-value.

One of those was Matthijs de Ligt, who cost €45m from Bayern Munich but the 25-year-old has had a mixed time to his start in England, leading to question marks from some observers over the defender’s speed and agility.

It was a sentiment that was reportedly shared by Bayern, with the Daily Mail quoting a source that claimed Bayern were concerned over De Ligt’s ‘flexibility’ due to his time spent building muscle.

“There was a feeling at Bayern that between De Ligt leaving Ajax for Juventus and then arriving at Bayern that he lost his flexibility and speed because he spent too much time in the gym,” the source is quoted as saying. “There was little positivity about him from Bayern.”

© IMAGO - Matthijs de Ligt joined Man Utd in the summer.

Ten Hag ‘did not talk to signing for two weeks’ after arrival

The revelation about De Ligt comes in the same week United held talks over Ten Hag’s future amid reports of dressing room unrest, with backup keeper Altay Bayindir the latest player to allegedly have had an issue with his manager.

Bayindir was signed by Ten Hag in 2023 for €5m but the Turkish international has played just twice in all competitions, with Andre Onana often preferred even in cup ties against lower opposition.

Current ETV

Altay Bayındır

Man Utd

Altay Bayındır

Man Utd

ETV Range

€2.4M - €4M

And Football Insider have claimed that Ten Hag did not have a conversation with Bayindir until two weeks after he joined the club, with the goalkeeper not greeted or introduced to his manager and instead only spending time with the coaching staff.

While Bayindir is only a fringe player at Old Trafford and may not have much influence in the dressing room, the report has corroborated claims that Ten Hag has struggled to maintain good relationships with his squad as the pressure continues to pile on the United boss.