Erik ten Hag is said to be furious that Manchester United's takeover saga has foiled his plan to sign West Ham skipper Declan Rice.
The Glazers put United up for sale in November, but the situation is yet to be resolved. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, among other parties, are battling to take over the Premier League giants.
There is a concern the saga will not conclude until after the summer transfer window, throwing Ten Hag's plans into doubt. The Glazers will not hand the United boss a huge budget if they are selling up, although there will be some cash for new players.
Rice, 24, is one of the most sought after stars in Europe after captaining West Ham to victory against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final earlier this month, ending their 43-year wait for silverware. Arsenal are leading the race for his signature.
According to The Sun, Ten Hag is keen to beat the Gunners in the race to sign Rice. The Englishman is viewed as the perfect man to play alongside Casemiro in the heart of United's midfield, with critics comparing him to the likes of Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard.
It's claimed Ten Hag wants to make an offer for Rice but is being thwarted by the Glazers' relatively modest budget. The midfielder is expected to cost around £100million, with West Ham already rejecting an £80m plus add-ons bid from Arsenal.
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Ten Hag finds himself in a tricky position. It's still unclear whether the Glazers will actually sell United, as they could accept a minority investment. The unpopular owners need to raise funds to renovate Old Trafford and their Carrington training ground.
Ratcliffe's proposal would see him take charge of United, with Avram and Joel Glazer remaining part of the board. Sheikh Jassim wants to complete a 100 per cent takeover. It's believed the Glazers are negotiating a period of exclusivity with Sheikh Jassim.
Yet it could take a while for the deal to be finalised. Even if that happens, Sheikh Jassim will need to pass the Premier League's owners' and directors' test. With all that in mind, it could several months for this long-running takeover saga to conclude.
West Ham owner David Sullivan has confirmed Rice will be allowed to leave this summer. Speaking to talkSPORT, Sullivan said: "We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season.
"In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement - or several replacements. It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down.
"It's cost him £10m to stay at West Ham in that time [in lost wages]. And he wants to go. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."
