Erik ten Hag has urged Manchester United to use their spending power after the club’s takeover “in a smart way’ to avoid the kind of struggles seen at Chelsea.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani remain the two parties looking to buy the club, with the Glazer family still yet to make a final decision as the end of the season draws near.
More funds are expected to be available to Ten Hag in the transfer window once that process reaches a resolution, as United look to close the gap to Manchester City and prepare for their likely return to the Champions League after a season away.
However, Ten Hag believes United should use Chelsea’s shortcomings as a lesson, with the Blues suffering one of their worst ever Premier League seasons despite more than £600million being spent on new signings since the consortium headed by Todd Boehly took ownership of the club.
There will be no European football for Chelsea next season and the focus instead is on trying to offload a significant number of the bloated squad, and Ten Hag has warned that United need a clear plan to ensure they do not make similar mistakes.
“When there is no strategy behind it, or the right strategy, money doesn’t work,” Ten Hag said in his press conference ahead of United’s clash with Chelsea tonight.
“In this moment, let’s say there is a centralisation of good players, of the best managers, also of the money, it is all here in the UK. That makes a great competition, but also a tough and a hard competition.
“You have to do the right things. You can have money but you have to spend it in a smart way. Also, you need a strategy behind it, because otherwise the money doesn’t work.”
