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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed his approach to new transfers and building his squad amid the club’s recent injury setbacks.
New signing Leny Yoro and striker Rasmus Hojlund both suffered injuries in the pre-season match against Arsenal that turned out to be worse than expected, with Yoro potentially out of action for three months and Hojlund to miss the first six weeks of the season.
Man United’s injury woes worsened during their 3-2 win over Real Sociedad, with both Marcus Rashford and Antony coming off the pitch with injuries. Ten Hag revealed that he is still unsure of the extent of both players’ injuries.
During his press conference ahead of the final US pre-season match against Liverpool, the United manager revealed his approach to new transfers amid his team’s re-emerging injury crisis.
In a video posted on X by Sky Sports, Ten Hag explained the importance of exploring his existing squad for players who can provide solutions on the pitch before impulsively turning to the transfer market.
“It’s harder because also players you inherited they are probably very capable to play in the game model of the club,” Ten Hag explained.
“We will have high ambitions and we don’t have so much patience and we want to go quickly forward and if there are options then you have to move to those options but then at the same time you want to develop and give players in the current squad of clubs [an] opportunity to fit in so that they can contribute to the high ambitions we have.”
“If there are options, then you have to move to those options” 💬
Erik ten Hag on balancing giving players he inherited from the club a chance against making way for new signings 📝 pic.twitter.com/DKRmdZVU6q
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 2, 2024
Ten Hag’s approach to giving current players within his squad is nothing new. In addition to allowing Harry Maguire the chance to get first-team action after he fell out of favour with Ten Hag, the Dutch coach has reiterated how much he values McTominay, another player who has experienced limited playing time.
“I’m so pleased with the performance from Scott McTominay and so pleased to have him in my squad, for the type of person he is,” Ten Hag said of the Scottish international. He has such an impact on this team with his performance and team spirit.”
Ten Hag also mentioned how he has shifted McTominay into a more advanced position than he previously played, explaining that his new role “suits him much better” and has seen him contribute more to goals.
Despite transfer rumours, Ten Hag appears to be happy for McTominay to remain at the club so long as he continues to contribute positively performance-wise.
Given Ten Hag’s assurances that he and his coaching staff have a clear plan of what to do amid the recent injuries, one would hope that they will be able to find a happy medium between signing new players and unlocking the potential of existing ones in order to build a capable squad for the new season.
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