Erik ten Hag drops Man Utd transfer hint with comment on two players

13 January 2024 , 22:30

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Erik ten Hag is in the market for new recruits

Erik ten Hag has admitted that Manchester United cannot afford to turn up their noses at loan deals this month.‌

Ten Hag would love to splash the cash despite lavishing £400million on new signings since his arrival in the summer of 2022 - but the Reds have already been fined by UEFA this season for failing to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.

And the club have already warned their fans that the 10-point deduction levied against Everton by the Premier League for falling foul of Profit and Sustainability rules means the biggest club in the world has to tread carefully in the January market.

Even Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3billion cash injection for a 25 per cent stake in the club has not changed the financial landscape at Old Trafford.‌ Which is ironic given that former United chief executive David Gill was a driving force in persuading both UEFA and the Premier League to limit the power of owner investment.

Gill was once chairman of the UEFA licensing committee that was given powers to ban clubs from the Champions League. In 2012, he joined forces with Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham to convince Premier League clubs to adopt a similar financial model.

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Now United, who now have debts in excess of £1billion, are feeling the pinch.‌ When Ten Hag took his team to face Wigan in the FA Cup last Monday night, all seven of his outfield substitutes were graduates from the club’s youth system.

United have a long and proud history of developing their own talent - and youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have given fans hope during a grim season of 14 defeats.‌

But last January, the club were forced to agree temporary deals to bring in Burnley flop Wout Weghorst and versatile Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.

Erik ten Hag drops Man Utd transfer hint with comment on two players

Marcel Sabitzer played on loan at Man United last season (Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)

This is likely to be another winter of discontent - despite the club cutting the wage bill by sending both Jason Sancho and Donny van de Beer on loan to the Bundesliga.‌

Ten Hag said: “You always have to consider such choices. They are, again, two very good loans; (Marcel) Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst really contributed to our success last year.‌

“When such opportunities come up, we have to take them. At the same time, you have to analyse what we have on board, what is coming up.

“I already counted on Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo; I knew they might make mistakes and we can’t bring them in every game but I counted on them.

“Of course, it went straightway negative when Kobbie Mainoo got injured in the second game of pre-season, then you lose him for three or four months and it stops the process.

“Now we have to work him back and then also you have to accept he can’t play three games of 90 minutes in the Premier League in six or seven days - it is not possible.

“You have to manage that and manage that process because you do not want to get injured again, but then you need players who can replace his position in that moment and get the right results, so that is what we try to prepare in the moments where we make our decisions.”