Ten Hag hinted that Man Utd could not afford to buy Gakpo
"Man Utd need good players," Ten Hag said on October 30 at the press conference before the match against Wolves in the 18th round of the Premier League. "Not only quantity, Man Utd need quality players, from which to choose tactics. We are looking for the right players, but they have to match the sporting and financial criteria of Man Utd. ".
Ten Hag once confirmed that he wanted to recruit the striker when the January transfer window opened to replace Cristiano Ronaldo - who left his contract half a year early after a controversial interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored. According to British media, Man Utd's top target is Cody Gakpo, before Liverpool close the deal and sign the Dutch striker for a total of $ 60 million.
When asked about the possibility of not recruiting more strikers, the Dutch coach: "I think Man Utd currently have a good squad. We have players who fit the criteria. But with matches in all competitions up front. First, if you want to continue to compete and win, Man Utd needs many players to rotate."
Ten Hag was praised for his ability to change the game, as substitutes for Man Utd have scored 10 goals since the start of the season, divided equally between the Europa League and the Premier League. In particular, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford scored three goals, while Fred, Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho and Ronaldo scored one each. The latest was the fact that Fred entered the field and scored in the 87th minute, setting a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on December 27.
Rashford and Martial have also risen to second and fourth respectively in the list of players who come on as a substitute and score the most goals in Man Utd history. In 94 appearances as a substitute, Rashford scored 21 goals - eight goals behind leader Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (29). Martial has 15 goals in 76 matches as a substitute.
Ten Hag is proud of the spirit of the players and emphasizes that the whole team must always be ready to enter the field in every match. "In attack, we need players coming on from the bench who will have an impact on the game, whether Man Utd need a goal or are in the lead. They help us counter-attack and keep the win. ", the 52-year-old coach analyzed.
Ten Hag also praised Aaron Wan-Bissaka - who has struggled with injury this season and is expected to leave Old Trafford. But the return of Diogo Dalot from the 2022 World Cup with an injury has opened the door for Wan-Bissaka, and the England defender has been impressive in the last two starts. Man Utd homepage commented that Wan-Bissaka is the next player to "revive" under Ten Hag, after Rashford, Martial and Dalot.
