The summer transfer window is officially open for business, meaning the time has come for Manchester United to execute some much-needed changes.
The club has announced that a total of 11 players will leave Old Trafford when their contracts expire on June 30, including senior figures such as Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. Their departures mean that spaces within the squad have been freed up for new additions.
Following a disastrous 2021/22 campaign, United, under new manager Erik ten Hag, are planning for a much-improved campaign next term, meaning they are eager to get new signings through the door as quickly as possible. Unsurprisingly, the club has already been linked with an array of potential signings as they look to strengthen several positions within the squad.
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United, who will discover their fixture list for the 2022/23 Premier League campaign next Thursday, have been linked with Ajax duo Jurrien Timber and Antony as well as Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The club wants to bolster its defensive, midfield and right-wing options, meaning all three players would be welcomed at Old Trafford.
And with reports of the aforementioned trio joining United this summer only increasing, MEN Sport has taken a close look at what Ten Hag, who has worked with all three of them at Ajax over the last few years, has had to say about them in the past.
Jurrien Timber - Ajax
Ten Hag has made no secret of his admiration for versatile defender Timber. The 20-year-old, who can operate at both right-back and centre-back, is high up on the Dutchman's wish list this summer.
Ten Hag said: "I think that all top clubs in Europe have Timber in their sights. But I think that currently applies to a lot of Ajax players."
The United boss has also admitted he believes Timber has the potential to become a captain in the future, adding: "He is another great leader that was trained at Ajax. Besides his football skills, he has the personality to become a captain."
Frenkie de Jong - Barcelona
Signing a central midfielder is a leading priority for United this summer. It was the area within the squad that was criticised most often during the 2021/22 season and it is vital that they add to that position over the next couple of months or so.
On De Jong, who left Ajax to join Barcelona back in 2019, Ten Hag said: "He is always calm and always has the solution. He scans so well that he always knows how to go forward. You can hardly put him under pressure – that is such a great gift."
Ten Hag has also previously stressed the importance of sourcing the correct formation to get the best out of De Jong, adding: "The quality of your players decide how you will play, and with what system. We had to find a way to make Frenkie function in the best possible way.
"You saw his incredible talent, but where do we have to use him to get the best out of him and his talent? Eventually, I decided to play with two 'No.6 players' on the pitch.
"Once I did this you saw how much better he became on the pitch, and how much better he made the whole team play and especially the attackers."
Antony - Ajax
Antony was sent off during Ajax's 3-2 win over Feyenoord back in March, earning a second yellow card for taking his shirt off. It was a sign of him being a young player, according to Ten Hag, who still had plenty to learn.
Ten Hag said: "Unnecessarily, he still has to learn that. But I am also happy to have players with temperament.
"You also need them. He is still young, but don’t forget that he also got an incredible kick."
Speaking on a separate occasion, the United boss also highlighted the Brazilian's importance to Ajax, adding: "If Antony were to go, it would be a loss for Ajax, because you have no one in the current selection who can take over his position. He is top class."
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