Erik Ten Hag wants to further strengthen the Manchester United squad after securing a Champions League spot with their victory against Chelsea on Friday, and has identified the England trio of Harry Kane, Declan Rice, and Mason Mount as targets.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Manchester United have been struggling to find a striker to further aid Marcus Rashford. The loanee, Wout Weghorst, wasn’t really the one, and Anthony Martial’s constant injuries haven’t helped either.
It has been reported that Kane is Manchester United’s top transfer target. United has long been interested in the striker, but Spurs are unwilling to sell, and his contract with them does not expire until next year either.
Declan Rice has been made available by West Ham, albeit for a steep price, and the defensive midfielder is likely to join Arsenal at this moment. The Red Devils’ have shown interest on the 24-year-old English international on previous occasions, but have failed to put down a negotiation due to his high price tag,
Chelsea’s Mason Mount is another player that the club is reportedly interested in. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder still has a year of his contract remaining, and Chelsea are keen to sign a deal with him.
In a post-Chelsea match conference, Erik Ten Hag emphasized on bringing in more new player in summer.
“We need better players if we want to compete for the highest,” said the 53-year-old Dutch manager.
Is a Qatari takeover at Manchester United imminent?
The Glazer family, owners of the Red Devils, listed the team for sale in November. Since then, numerous parties have made offers to purchase one of the most prestigious soccer clubs in the world. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has publicly expressed his interest in purchasing the club, and has vowed to bring in the biggest names in the soccer world.
The deadlines to submit a bid are officially offered, and the current frontrunners are Sheikh Jassim, and INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Even though Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus did not submit a new bid by the deadline, he claims to still be in the running because several investors have shown interest in purchasing a minority stake.
To clear out any misunderstanding: my bid for Manchester United is still on the table. I am ready to meet with the sellers to negotiate a mutually acceptable price. I however will not go back to scratch and start a new bidding process. That is not necessary nor professional.
— Thomas Zilliacus (@TZilliacus) April 14, 2023
However, Sheikh Jassim seems to be a favorite among the fans, given his promises to bring in the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, it’s a compelling tale, and it’ll be fascinating to see who owns the team next season when Erik Ten Hag’s players take the field.
