Erik ten Hag has warned that any extra financial muscle Manchester United have after a potential takeover must be accompanied by the right transfer strategy, as Chelsea’s disappointing season following their takeover shows.
United are currently the subject of bids from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, a Qatari banker, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the Ineos owner.
Last May Chelsea was sold by Roman Abramovich to a consortium headed by Todd Boehly, who became co-owner and chairman. Yet the American and his ownership group have attracted scrutiny for a £600m-plus investment in the squad that has failed to bring success, with the team set to finish no higher than 11th.
Ten Hag was asked if this was evidence that even if a club has an injection of cash after a takeover it must be invested wisely. “Absolutely yeah and 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,” the 53-year-old said.
“And that makes a great competition, but also a tough and a hard competition. And you have to do the right things and you can have money but you have to do it and spend it in a smart way and also you need a strategy behind it, because, otherwise, the money doesn’t work.
“When there is no strategy behind, or [not] the right strategy, money doesn’t work.”
United face Chelsea at Old Trafford in Thursday’s penultimate match of the Premier League season. If Ten Hag’s team draw or win they are guaranteed the final Champions League berth.
“We want to compete with the best – so then you have to be in the Champions League,” said Ten Hag. “In the Premier League, you have to be one of the first four [to do so], that’s not easy, many are competing for it, many think they should be in and we are one of them.
“I think we are in a good direction but also we can learn from this season and we have to evaluate that after, make the right conclusions for the future, and that is what we will definitely do.”
Reports have linked Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar with a close-season move to United. Ten Hag said: “When we have news we will tell you.”
Marcus Rashford faces a late fitness test following illness. “Yesterday [Tuesday], he returned to training, he looks quite fit but we have to see today [Wednesday] what is the outcome of the training, how did we recover and then we will make our choices,” the manager said.
