Manchester United embark on their pre-season tour on July 8 – with new boss Erik ten Hag no closer to knowing the make-up of his travelling squad.
Ten Hag wanted the bulk of his signings made before United left for the two-and-a-half-week tour of Thailand and Australia, to be able to integrate them into the existing squad. But with the first members of United's squad back for pre-season training on Monday, when ten Hag will meet players face-to-face for the first time, the club are struggling to get deals done.
United chief executive Richard Arnold's blunt admission – covertly recorded in a chat with disgruntled fans in a Cheshire pub – that the club had “f****** burned through cash” is coming back to haunt the fallen giants. While Arnold bullishly claimed the funds are available for ten Hag to spend on the players he wants, it is understood the new manager's transfer budget this summer is capped at £120million.
