Erik ten Hag will get his first chance to work with his new squad tomorrow as Manchester United return for pre-season training.
A group of 15 senior players are expected to report back to Carrington on Monday morning, with some big names among those returning. The remaining members of the squad who have been involved in international fixtures this summer will follow later in July, before United’s pre-season tour to Thailand, Australia and Norway gets underway.
The first training session of the summer will give Ten Hag a first opportunity to see some of his new players up close, with the United boss undergoing a major rebuild at United. The coming days may well enable him to make a dent in his to-do list for the summer…
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Dean Henderson’s future
Henderson might not be spending too much time at Carrington this week. Following his wedding at the weekend, it seems as though the England international will be heading out on loan to Nottingham Forest.
United want Daniel Bachmann to replace him as David de Gea’s deputy next season, but that might not necessarily mean the end of Henderson’s career at Old Trafford. Ten Hag is a fan of the 25-year-old, having tried to take him to Ajax last season, and there could still be time for him to outline his plans for Henderson over the coming days.
A cluttered defence
Of the 15 players expected to be back in training on Monday, seven of them are defenders. That’s before you take into account the likes of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Diogo Dalot returning at the start of July.
An already cluttered area of the squad could grow even bigger this summer, with Ten Hag aiming to at least bring in a new centre-back. And should his attempts to bring in Jurrien Timber fail, he may also be on the lookout for a new right-back to boot.
The United boss will therefore likely have to identify some defenders to offload, and there are some obvious candidates among the early group. Both Eric Bailly and Phil Jones declared their intentions to move on earlier in the year, which would clearly free up some space.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is being tipped for a move away, having regressed rather than progressed last season. Ten Hag will also have decisions to make on Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams’ futures, with the former moving into the final year of his contract while the latter still has a couple of years remaining.
Room for Donny?
There can’t have been many players happier to see Ten Hag arriving than Donny van de Beek. The midfielder has endured a torrid time so far at Old Trafford, and his spell on loan at Everton didn’t particularly do him any favours.
Reuniting with his former Ajax boss may well offer him a lifeline, but questions still remain over how exactly he’ll fit in the side. With Ten Hag eyeing up Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen this summer, Van de Beek’s options might become even more limited.
The Netherlands international is the sole midfielder expected back tomorrow, which should give him more time to go over his future with Ten Hag. Not to mention, it’s an early chance to prove he still has a part to play at United.
A chance for Amad?
Expectations have been high for Amad since he made the move from Atalanta. His first foray away from United though didn’t go to plan though as he struggled to make an impact at Rangers.
The obvious solution might therefore be to send him out on loan again this season to try and get him some regular playing time, and make sure he is developing as a player. Amad though does offer an option in a problem position for United.
With Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford also expected to be in training tomorrow, Ten Hag can take potentially take a look at how Amad stacks up against the pair on the right of the attack. He might yet prove to be a wildcard for next season.
What next for Martial?
Having made his desire to leave United clear earlier this year, Anthony Martial will return to Carrington no closer to having his future sorted. A loan move to Sevilla didn’t work out, and given the reviews of his time out in Spain, it’s hard to see him heading back there.
Still with two years left on his contract, the Frenchman might prove a little harder to shift than United might have hoped. His future would appear to lie elsewhere, but his reputation is at an all-time low.
Considering the lack of transfer activity, he might well still have a part to play in pre-season as back up for United’s attacking options. It’s up to Ten Hag though to decide what’s in store for him thereafter though.
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