For all the intentions of going about this year’s summer window differently, Erik ten Hag may need to repeat an old ploy.
The Manchester United boss has already been making moves in the market despite the ambiguity of the ownership, and thus the transfer budget. An early enquiry for Harry Kane signalled that United would need to look at alternative options.
And so, discussions have since been held with Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta, while personal terms with Mason Mount have been agreed amid the hunt for a new midfielder.
Seven players, including Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe, have been released while David de Gea seems to be on the verge of exiting upon his contract expiration as the club looks for a new No.1.
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United also need a back-up centre-half but that desire is further down the priority list. It’s expected that such a transfer would need to be facilitated by departures, of which the Reds potentially have a few.
Eric Bailly and Alex Telles are destined for the exit door, with Brandon Williams potentially following. Victor Lindelof said in March that he will “assess options” this summer but it could be club captain Harry Maguire who bows out.
None of the aforementioned would command heavy fees but together, they might be enough to fund a bid for a defender. Reports suggest Kim Min-jae is close to a Bayern Munich switch amid mooted United interest, albeit this intrigue has never been confirmed.
United could instead return to an old target they tried to lure across the North Sea last summer. Jurrien Timber has been very vocal about a potential exit this year after watching former Ajax teammate Lisandro Martinez thrive in the Premier League.
In the latest of his cryptic messages last week, the Dutchman said: "Will I stay with Ajax anyway? I’m not sure, I can’t say that. I'm not in talks with Ajax now. My agent had a good talk a few times, but it's not like we're talking about anything right now."
Timber still has two years left on his deal so wouldn’t be a cheap buy. Arsenal seem prepared to cough up the required funds though, with speculation suggesting the 22-year-old is a target of Mikel Arteta and that personal terms have been agreed.
Martinez found himself in a similar situation last year. He looked to be on the brink of a move to the Emirates before a phone call changed everything.
Speaking in December, Ten Hag revealed: "At a certain point, Lisandro Martinez called me up and said: 'Coach, listen, I will leave Ajax no matter what. I can sign for Arsenal, but if you want me, I will go to Manchester United." Soon enough, a move was sanctioned and Martinez became a United player for £47m.
Arsenal's loss was certainly United’s gain, and Ten Hag may wish to enact another steal with Timber. It would be hard to offer him guaranteed game time but with Varane now 30 and prone to injury, there’s more than an opening there.
Furthermore, Ten Hag is keen for there to be competition in every position and Timber could provide that at centre-half. His ability to fill in at right-back could become useful too.
But not only would Timber bolster United’s defensive ranks, he would also put a spanner in Arsenal’s transfer plans. If United are to make a challenge for the title next season, then each small win matters.
