Erik ten Hag confirms transfer search

When pressed specifically on one of the midfielders heavily linked with the club, in Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona, Erik replied: “I never talk about players who are not under contract at Manchester United, players from different clubs. 

“So I cannot tell you anything about this issue.”

What the manager would share was that he knows he needs a strong squad for the challenges ahead, at home and in Europe, particularly with the fixture list being affected by the winter World Cup in Qatar.

“It’s going to be a long season but also a season that is quite an unusual season, due to the World Cup,” he added. “So you need to be prepared for this. You need, I think, more players than in a normal season.”