Erik ten Hag left Manchester United 14th in one Premier League table and second in another. Had the Dutchman figured in the top two in the standings that mattered most, he would probably be overseeing Sunday’s game against Chelsea. Instead, a meeting of the 2008 Champions League finalists represents another summit clash.
Because, over the course of Ten Hag’s reign, United’s transfer outlay topped £600m. It put them behind only one club, albeit one who spent more than twice as much. With Chelsea’s £1.3bn expenditure, it means these squads should have been bolstered to the tune of almost £2bn in two-and-a-half years.
