Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Erik ten Hag are headed for a collision after the Manchester United manager, who is under pressure, assembled a wishlist of five players for January transfers.
Ratcliffe is eager to take charge of football operations at the club before the New Year, and it appears that a deal to buy a 25% stake in Manchester United is close to completion. The club’s manager has put together a wish list, despite Mirror Football’s understanding that he does not want any sort of squad overhaul next month.
Despite spending over £170 million in the summer, a dismal campaign was made worse on Saturday when Bournemouth humiliated them 3-0 at home.
Rasmus Hojlund has not yet scored in the Premier League, and the opinions on summer additions Mason Mount and Andre Onana are still very much divided.
Ten Hag is also pursuing three forward players because players like Donny van de Beek and Jadon Sancho are anticipated to leave in January and because Antony Martial’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign. The Daily Mail claims that Ivan Toney of Brentford is the main target.
Toney, who has been connected to Arsenal as well, has been suspended since May for violating FA wagering rules. However, that suspension ends on January 17. Regardless of whether the Ratcliffe deal closes, the reported £70 million price tag could be a roadblock.
According to reports, Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and Timo Werner of Leipzig are also being lined up. Furthermore, with Lisandro Martinez still sidelined due to injury and Rafael Varane out of favour, Ten Hag is eager to add defensive reinforcements.
Ten Hag is reportedly keeping an eye on Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton and is eager to make another move for Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo following a botched summer attempt. However, it is unclear if Ratcliffe will approve of such a dramatic transfer as soon as he arrives at Old Trafford.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United have now spent over £1 billion. On the other hand, the Glazer family has frequently been charged with undermining the club’s finances by embezzling money.
Ten Hag’s January budgetary leverage may be impacted by United’s performance in the Champions League. To stand a chance of advancing past the round of sixteen, they must defeat Bayern Munich on Tuesday; however, even that victory will depend on Copenhagen’s match against Galatasaray finishing in a draw.
