It is one thing having money to spend but quite another spending it but a frustrating few weeks for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag has finally reached the checkout tills.
Two signings as good as in the net in Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona for £56million rising to a possible £74m with add ons and Tyrell Malacia for £13m from Feyenoord have eased the tension building at Old Trafford.
Yet there is a desire to add two more, possibly three to give Ten Hag real depth and competition to work with and the club a real boost to take into a first campaign. In fact Ten Hag has made it clear to his new bosses he wants five signings this summer. United leave for a tour of Thailand and Australia on July 8 which makes it unlikely the new manager will have his full squad to work with.
But with a first game of the season on August 7 against Brighton there is still time for incoming targets to get to Manchester and get settled with a view to embedding into the squad by September. Here Mirror Sport takes a look at how likely it is that United will grab a famous five.
Lisandro Martinez
One of Ten Hag’s first moves was to try lure highly rated Jurrien Timber to Manchester early in the piece it is well known the new United boss still needs another centre half. With Timber, Louis van Gaal did not help, proving that he can hold a grudge with the best of them by advising the Netherlands starlet he would not be doing his World Cup prospects any good by signing. But that will not stop Ten Hag going back for Martinez, another recruit from Ajax and the Eredivisie although this time an Argentinian. With Arsenal also trying to lure him to the Premier League without the carrot of Champions League football United may have to dig deeper to get him to the north west. Should that pursuit fail Villarreal’s Pau Torres remains on their radar as a secondary option.
Antony
Another target is the £40million rated Brazil winger Antony who, again, worked with ten Hag at Ajax and is believed to be open to a move to the Premier League for a reunion with his old boss. Critics suggesting Ten Hag is focussing too narrowly on his former stamping ground are probably wide of the mark given the identity of those two targets. Not only does it make sense to concentrate on players whose skill-set he has seen up close but those who know the scene suggests that neither player would wilt in the heat of the Premier League. Antony, in particular, is described as a tough but talented Brazilian with a gritty edge and a serious nature.
He is contracted at the Johan Cruyff Arena until 2025. Getting a quartet of ex-Dutch players to the club should speed the transition to ten Hag’s desired style of play as well as filling the gaps that he perceives to be in the United ranks. Back-up or competition to Luke Shaw, a little more silk in the midfield pairing or three meaning probably that just one of Fred or Scott McTominay (if he does not attract serious attention from Newcastle ) could be deployed. And, in Antony's case, a bit of balance and competition up front for Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga.
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Christian Eriksen or Youri Tielemans
The most intriguing element of United’s window would be the fifth name with Christian Eriksen and Youri Tielemans both floated as a playmaker. In the case of the latter Ten Hag would be getting a cultured passer with a bit of muscle whereas in Eriksen’s case a playmaker capable of putting a rocket up Bruno Fernandes. Eriksen is weighing up whether to stay with Brentford but the lure of playing with United’s squad will surely appeal to the Denmark international.
It is arrival of De Jong that Ten Hag hopes will persuade the 30-year-old Eriksen that Old Trafford can fulfil his ambitions. Ten Hag believes the pair could form a formidable axis in midfield. Tielemans is a viable alternative who would add quality to United’s midfield. With just one year left on his contract at the King Power, the Belgian international would set United back around £25 million. United could face stiffer competition for Tielemans who, at 25, needs to make his next move a significant one in terms of possible silverware and money. The dream, if unlikely, scenario given they have lost Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata could be getting both over the line.
