When it comes to the summer transfer window, Manchester United and Ten Hag may have a £100 million or more coin toss. They look to take the next phase of their amazing renovation.
Erik ten Hag and his team now have a straightforward decision to make after allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to go mid-season. Would Victor Osimhen or Harry Kane be more advantageous to them? In practise, things will be a little more complicated than choosing a clear choice. Because there are so many variables at play.
But there are methods to avoid missing out on prime targets. As their public search for Frenkie de Jong demonstrated last summer. In that instance, Ten Hag purchased Casemiro and Christian Eriksen with the money set aside for his former Ajax protégé. Not too awful.
Ten Hag and other important players in the background need to decide whether they want a frontman. One who thrives on racing in behind and playing off the shoulder. One who is far better suited to dropping deep and concurrently acting as a facilitator when it comes to their imminent striker search.
Erik Ten Hag in search of striker like Osimhen
If Ten Hag wins the race for Osimhen or Kane, he will need to adjust his tactical plan. That too, in accordance with their respective capabilities. Importantly, though, you would anticipate either to ensure goals, which will relieve some of the load on the spectacular Marcus Rashford.
Even while there are already early plans to replace Ronaldo long-term next summer, outside pressure will undoubtedly play a significant role in United signing their next No. 9 in the positional sense. Would the clubs that are selling their assets cooperate, and if so, how much will Scudetto contenders Napoli or Tottenham ask for their treasured possessions?
By announcing their return to the Champions League or demonstrating how alluring it would be to be the major attraction for a Ten Hag squad, United can only exert so much influence. Even knowing that beforehand, though, did not help them last summer.
Ten Hag did not receive that nod from De Jong despite their friendly friendship since he chose to remain at Camp Nou for (at least) another season. But, in many ways, United’s “failure” in the market was beyond of their control. United might be able to learn from that in terms of how long they pursue the top striking targets.
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Osimhen, one of the best centre forwards at the moment
The first demand to be placed on Osimhen or Kane next summer must be that De Jong never completely seemed at ease on the move. Happily for Ten Hag, though, the former appears to have already unlocked the door for a future high-value move, so Osimhen is now in his sights.
“When you are doing so well, top clubs around the world are watching,” acknowledged Osimhen. He lead Napoli to victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday night. His opener in a 2-0 win was his 20th goal of the season.
Osimhen was able to outperform one of the alternate candidates who had been speculatively linked with Erik Ten Hag United, Randal Kolo Muani, who was fired before witnessing the conclusion of yet another masterclass Osimhen audition.
“I’m focused on Napoli, right now, and they have the final say. I just want to help my team to win matches and win trophies. At the end of the season, we will see what’s going to happen, but that is not up to me. It’s for the club to decide.” That middle sentence will have mostly been music to Ten Hag’s ears.
United in search of long term replacements
Despite having preseason confidence in Anthony Martial, the United manager has only seldom been able to use his first-choice attacker this season due to four different injury setbacks. Because of this, it is even more amazing to consider what the Dutchman has accomplished. And still has a chance to accomplish before the game is through.
That is about to change, and when the market reopens. United will look for a long-term replacement for Ronaldo and Martial. Osimhen didn’t quite make a “come and get me” request with his remarks, but it must be assumed that they give United and other prospective suitors permission to approach him.
If Ten Hag decides Osimhen is his choice this summer, his performances in the Champions League will serve as further evidence that he can handle the pressure and deliver on the largest platform possible.
In the end, he has given United more of a hint than De Jong ever did during their earlier pursuit of him. The only issue left to resolve is a very sizable payment package to secure their man.
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