After a victory that secured Manchester United third place on 75 points Erik ten Hag offered what could be read as a dig at the hierarchy for failing to back him in the January transfer window.
Then, Liverpool bought Cody Gakpo (for £37m), Newcastle recruited Anthony Gordon (£45m), and Chelsea splurged £320m-plus on eight players including Enzo Fernández and Mykhailo Mudryk. Yet after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure during the World Cup and Christian Eriksen’s serious injury in January, Ten Hag secured only loans for Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer.