Mueez Ajao
– Erik ten Hag has urged Manchester United to “strike” in the transfer market if an opportunity arises before Tuesday’s deadline.
– United have so far added only loan striker Wout Weghorst in January with sources telling that the club are instead focused on strengthening the squad in the summer.
– But with just days to go before the deadline, Ten Hag has put pressure on the board to keep pursuing new signings ahead of what could be a busy second half of the season in four competitions.
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– “In the coming days, if we had the opportunity I would go for it but that’s not also up to me, that’s also clear,” said Ten Hag.
– “I think this club always has to have the approach that every day you have to get better so if there are opportunities to get better then you have to strike.
– “That’s my approach so I’m looking around, to research but I have an idea with which profiles we could strengthen the squad.”
– United are the only English team left in four competitions and Ten Hag is keen to have a squad big enough to cope with the demands of a season that could stretch to more than 60 games.
– Interest from West Ham in defender Harry Maguire has been rebuffed and Ten Hag has insisted the United captain remains an important player.
– The England centre-back has only started two league games since August and has seen Luke Shaw, usually a left-back, picked ahead of him since the World Cup.
– “He’s not fifth choice but it’s up to him,” said Ten Hag.
– “I have to say he’s training very well, bringing quality and that is what I expect from all the players in the squad. He has to fight for his position and things can change, sometimes also really quickly. I think he is making progress and it’s up to him.
– “After the World Cup he should have played but then he got ill. I can’t do anything about that and he knows that.
– “Then you come in a run and he has to wait for his chance, I think those are the laws of football, from top football, from selection. Then you have to wait for a change and in the meanwhile make sure you are ready if the chance is there.”
– One player who could be leaving Old Trafford is Phil Jones.
– The defender hasn’t played all season because of injury and is out of contract in the summer.
– “[The decision] is not taken [that he will leave] until now, the decision about that is for the summer, but for the whole season he’s injured,” said Ten Hag.
– “What I can say is that he’s not available for training since the first day of training this season so I think there’s not an opportunity for you to recover quickly and be available quickly.”
