Selhurst Park, London, Britain - January 18, 2023. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag before the match.
Alex Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT Erik ten Hag will be looking to recruit a new central midfielder and striker at Manchester United this summer.
The Lowdown: Players will now be keen to join
It was only last summer when United were finding it incredibly difficult to attract someone such as Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford because of the season they’d just had and a lack of Champions League football on offer.
Now though, thanks to the work Ten Hag has been able to do in such a short period of time, Man United are looking certain for the top four, potentially in a title race and in the conversation for a quadruple.
Therefore, Man United and Old Trafford could now become an attractive club to join once again if they can offer trophies, Champions League football and a manager who has a clear plan in place for his team.
The Latest: Midfielder and a striker top of the list
Ten Hag brought in a stop-gap striker in January in the form of Wout Weghorst but Crook believes another number nine and central midfielder is the two key positions Man United will be looking to recruit in.
He said: (0:00) “I think a number nine and another midfield player are Ten hag’s two big targets this summer.
“We know how desperate he was to sign Frenkie de Jong at the start of this season, it didn’t happen, mainly down to the dispute between Barcelona and De Jogn about some wages that had been deferred during the pandemic.
“Obviously, at that stage, Manchester United weren’t a Champions League club but touchwood they will be next season either via the Premier League or maybe winning the Europa League, so I think they’ll become a much more attractive proposition.”
The Verdict: Ten Hag must be backed once again
There shouldn’t even be a conversation within Man United about backing Ten Hag or not because the board have seen first-hand what his signings have been able to do this season with the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony all making big impacts on the side.
If Man United can just hand Ten Hag a starting midfielder and proven goalscorer then that would certainly be enough to see them become serious title contenders because as much work as Weghorst does off the ball, he has one goal since joining the club in January.
Also, Man United have struggled for results and performances a lot more compared to when Casemiro plays and he doesn’t, so bringing in a midfielder of his calibre could be exactly what they need to iron out those deficiencies and become a serious contender.
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