Manchester United are back where they belong, but the Dutchman believes they need to cement the development he demands this summer, according to manager Erik ten Hag.
United’s 4-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford secured a place in the top four with a game to spare after missing out on Champions League football last campaign.
Ten Hag agrees with Arsene Wenger’s old adage that claiming a place in Europe’s elite club competition is tantamount to winning a trophy.
However, he is not one to rest on his laurels and is already looking ahead to the transfer window as he looks to close the gap on FA Cup final opponents and Premier League champions Manchester City.
“This club belongs in the Champions League,” said ten Hag.
“Finishing in the top four was the main goal. The competition is tough, there are a lot of teams with really good squads, good managers and big budgets.
“For the moment this is more than enough but we want more and I don’t have much patience.
Former United defender Gary Neville says the club “needs investment” for any further development, and ten Hag shares the same opinion, adding: “In the summer we have the squad we have. We can work together but we need to strengthen.”
‘You don’t get high with this group’
United have been heavily linked with a move for Chelsea’s England midfielder Mason Mount in recent days, while Tottenham’s Harry Kane would be the obvious choice to fill the number nine role which the club has earmarked as a priority. Is if Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has indicated his willingness to sell. .
United are known to be in the hunt for an experienced central midfielder who could make a summer move to Old Trafford if the club can prove themselves better at selling players than last summer.
Against all this is the backdrop of ownership uncertainty.
Rhine Group, which is handling the potential sale of the club, continues to work towards a resolution after the Glazer family announced in November that they were considering selling it.
There have been suggestions of some sort of clarification surrounding the end of the season, although representatives of Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Anous Group, the two main bidders, have said privately that they It is not known how long this process will take. its result.
Former United captain Neville, a long-time critic of the club’s current ownership, believes his old club will have to change to challenge City.
“Erik ten Hag has achieved maximum success with this squad,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“It will require investment because I don’t think you will get high with this group. That is their limit. They are certainly not challenging for the title.
“The manager has proven he can handle the size of the club. Now it’s about getting new owners and getting on the pitch and going forward. Because they’re 10 years away now, nowhere near.”
While former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes Kane is an obvious target for the Old Trafford club.
“If Man Utd want to kick on next season they need to go and get a top striker, Martial is not the answer,” he said. If they want to seriously challenge, they need to sign Victor Osimhan from Napoli or Harry Kane.
“Tottenham are a shambles, it feels like if you were Harry Kane, you’ve got a year left on your contract, it’s time to go. He missed the chance with Man City [last summer] and that’s it. There is time he needs to step up. Tottenham is like a social experiment in how far you can push your fans. He deserves better.”
Lampard’s praise for Ten Hag
As he picked up the wreckage of an eighth defeat in his 10 games in charge, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard pointed to ten Hag’s work shortly after taking over the key role at United, the manager stamping his authority on the club.
This included dealing with the issues surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo and refusing to stay with and watch his team-mates after being substituted at half-time in his first pre-season appearance – then coming on as a substitute in a Premier League game. Refuse to Against Tottenham in October
“There must be fundamentals,” Lampard said. “There must be fundamentals.
“I remember when Ten Hag first arrived, people were talking about discipline and penalties, Ronaldo’s situation and setting standards. Those are the things where this club has changed positively.”
