Erik ten Hag has agreed to become the new Man Utd manager, and when he takes over in the summer, he will have to supervise a team revamps. Up to ten players, including striker Edinson Cavani, midfielder Paul Pogba, and goalkeeper Dean Henderson, are poised to leave Old Trafford.
It will give the Dutchman plenty of room to maneuver, but failure to qualify for the Champions League next season could limit their goals and budget.
Transfer Targets for Man Utd
Man Utd will be connected with a slew of transfer targets this summer, with the club looking to reinforce the team’s spine with a new center back, central midfielder, and striker. Man Utd are rumored to be interested in signing Tottenham’s Harry Kane or Benfica’s Darwin Nunez as a substitute for Edinson Cavani and potentially Cristiano Ronaldo.
Declan Rice (West Ham), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds), Ruben Neves (Wolves), Yves Bissouma (Brighton), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio), and Aurelien Tchouameni (Brighton) are among the midfield alternatives (Monaco). United are thought to have considered Antonio Rudiger, who is available on a free transfer from Chelsea, and Jurrien Timber, who is available permanently (Ajax).
However, with Man Utd telling agents that failing to qualify for the Champions League may result in the club’s budget being cut to as little as £20 million, many of those goals may be out of reach for new manager Ten Hag.
About the Players Leaving
The United roster will be overhauled this summer, with the number of players leaving Old Trafford potentially reaching double figures. As free agents, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Lee Grant are expected to go, while Dean Henderson, Eric Bailly, Nemanja Matic, and Phil Jones are all expected to leave.
Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial will return after loan spells with Sevilla and Everton, respectively. Van de Beek intends to resurrect his United career under Ten Hag, his former Ajax coach, but Martial remains committed to leaving.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 18 goals but has had a tough season, is the huge question mark. As he considers whether to stay for the second and final year of his contract, the Portugal international is believed to believe there will be no quick answer for United’s difficulties. Finding another elite team prepared to pay his £500,000-a-week salary, on the other hand, would be difficult.
Read: Erik Ten Hag wants to sign Steven Bergwijn as the first signing of 2022 for Manchester United
