Ten Hag brands Man Utd’s recent transfer business ‘average’

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken of the need for the Old Trafford club to raise its game in the transfer market.

The Red Devils have found themselves in the wilderness for the best part of a decade following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, with successive managers struggling to make them competitive in the Premier League.

Ten Hag took over in the summer following the club’s worst season in terms of points in the English game’s modern era, and he has pinpointed one of the reasons as their transfer business.

MORE: How Lisandro Martinez forced Man Utd to buy him

Speaking to Voetbal International, he said: “In recent years, most purchases have been average. But at Man Utd, average is not good enough.”

Ten Hag, though, believes that his experience at Ajax, the club he left to move to the Old Trafford dugout, stands him in good stead for the challenge that he currently faces.

“The same applied to Ajax for new players. It is much more difficult to excel at Ajax than at PSV or Feyenoord, for example. Ajax is the new level,” he said.

“Ajax is the only top level brand in the Netherlands. The pressure there is many times higher than at any other leading club in the Eredivisie.”

MORE: What offers has Ronaldo received since Man Utd exit?

How much money has Ten Hag spent at Man Utd?

Meanwhile, Ten Hag has been significantly backed in the transfer market, with Manchester United spending €238 million on recruits in the summer.

The Dutchman drew heavily from his experience with Ajax, notably adding Antony and Lisandro Martinez to the Old Trafford ranks for lavish fees.

Ahead of the January transfer window, there is some doubt as to how active Man Utd will be, but following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in November, it is expected that they will seek to add at least another forward to their squad during the period.

The early evidence, meanwhile, is that Ten Hag has been spending more wisely than his predecessors.