Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is continuing the overhaul of his squad after a disastrous start to his Old Trafford reign.
Having lost on the opening day of the season, United capitulated to a humiliating 4-0 defeat by Brentford on Saturday, plunging the 13-time Premier League champions to the bottom of the table.
Ten Hag has managed to bring in just three players in his first window in charge and has endured his fair share of transfer frustrations. Frenkie de Jong was earmarked as the Dutchman’s top target, although a deal for his compatriot now looks dead in the water.
And with just over two weeks until the deadline, United will be scrambling for deals in order to give their new manager a squad capable of competing with their top-flight rivals. As well as incomings, there promises to be a raft of departures, with academy graduates James Garner and Hannibal Mejbri set to be on the move.
Garner, a player once described as the ‘next Michael Carrick’, is reportedly available for as little as £14million, while Hannibal looks primed to join Birmingham City on loan. According to reports, the Tunisian international is set to join the Championship club on a temporary deal for the rest of the season.
That transfer will clear the decks of both players involved in May’s alleged training ground bust-up, which followed United's previous 4-0 thrashing. It is believed Hannibal and Alex Telles were involved in a row at Carrington days after the Red Devils were humbled by Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Such was the severity of the disagreement, then-boss Ralf Rangnick was forced to end training early, with the German notably furious. Ten Hag has since replaced Rangnick in the dugout, but has opted to allow guilty parties to leave, with Alex Telles already joining Sevilla on loan until next summer.
The Brazilian full-back had fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of Tyrell Malacia and interestingly suggested he had no hesitation in leaving the mess at his parent club behind.
"I'm very happy to be at this great club," Telles said upon his arrival at Sevilla. "From the first moment I got the message to come here, I didn't think twice."
The Manchester Evening News reports that another training ground row rocked the squad last week - just days before their disastrous trip to the capital to play the Bees. The report claims there was a huge argument in the Carrington dressing room on Thursday.
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Ten Hag then dragged his beleaguered charges back to their training headquarters on Sunday morning, cancelling their scheduled day off in the wake of the debacle in West London. Players were put through a gruelling session in the baking heat, with players said to have been 'left in ruins'.
The Times, per the Daily Express, reports that Ten Hag - who remains adamant he will get it right at United - ripped into his players in private. He will now be in a race against time to get signings in through the door this week, with a daunting match against their arch-rivals Liverpool looming on the horizon next Monday.
