Home » Erik ten Hag tells Man United he ‘needs signings to compete’ next season

Erik ten Hag tells Man United he ‘needs signings to compete’ next season

by Adam Leadbeater

Erik ten Hag has stressed that Manchester United need signings this summer if they hope to compete next season.

During an interview with The Times’ Henry Winter, the United boss opened up about the importance of squad investment if his club are to succeed.

“If you want to be competitive in this league, you have to invest.” Ten Hag explained in no uncertain terms. “I need signings, yes.”

However, the Dutchman’s task would surely be made much easier if there were clarity surrounding United’s ongoing takeover saga.

The Glazer Family seem in no rush to name their preferred bidder with a real possibility that the situation may rumble on into the summer transfer window and beyond.

It’s day 187 of the protracted takeover process, since the American business owners announced on November 22nd that they were beginning to “explore strategic alternatives” for the club.

Decisions on signings will ultimately remain complicated until one of the two leading candidates, INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe or Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is finally named.

Previously it had been suggested that a transfer budget of £100 million was on the table with the likes of Harry Kane on Ten Hag’s shopping list.

United fans will be crossing their fingers that if a takeover is completed sooner rather than later then it might see spending increase significantly.

Erik ten Hag later went on to comment about the spending at Old Trafford across the season as a whole.

“When you see the investment in the Premier League — [in the] summer window we did [spend] as well, to be fair.” ten Hag told Winter. “The club spent £208 million on Antony, Casemiro, Lisandro Martínez and Tyrell Malacia.”

“In the winter window, we didn’t do anything.” the Dutchman stated. “We had loan players [Wout Weghorst, Marcel Sabitzer and Jack Butland] but when you look around, all the other clubs invested to be in the top four and we didn’t invest. You can’t ignore that.”

Latest Top Stories...