Lavish Man Utd spending to continue in January as Ten Hag receives huge transfer budget; may be increased by top star’s exit

Manchester United will continue to back manager Erik ten Hag next year and will allow him to bring in several new stars in January, according to a report.

Manchester United spent around £228million during the recent summer transfer window, bringing in six players. These were Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Martin Dubravka.

The most expensive of these transfers was Antony’s. He cost a huge £86m when joining the Red Devils from reigning Dutch champions Ajax.

The big summer outlay has bolstered several positions for Ten Hag, most notably midfield and defence. While the moves will have impressed Manchester United fans, the club did fail in a couple of key areas.

Casemiro and Eriksen have improved their midfield massively. But United were unsuccessful in landing Ten Hag’s prime target, Frenkie de Jong.

United also went after a new striker amid the uncertainty surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s future. They pursued Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, among other stars, but couldn’t get such a deal over the line.

According to a big update from The Sun, United chiefs will not hold Ten Hag back in January. Instead, they will back him with a further £70m transfer budget.

The club’s hierarchy know spending money on the first team is the best way to keep supporters happy. This is especially important as the Glazers continue to take dividends out of the club, while Old Trafford is also in desperate need of a renovation.

Ten Hag can go big in January

In a bid to maintain the positive outlook at United – which is mainly thanks to the side’s recent upturn in form – Ten Hag will be able to spend big this winter.

£70m could see numerous players arrive in Manchester to bolster his options.

United have been linked with a new approach for Gakpo. Bombshell reports claim they would like to capture Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, too.

With the money available, Ten Hag is far more likely to land Gakpo from PSV than Mbappe. The latter only recently penned a new PSG contract, which means United would have to match his full valuation if they truly wanted to sign him.

The Sun claim Ten Hag’s spending could rise to more than £100m if Ronaldo leaves. As mentioned previously, the Portuguese was expected to move on during the summer.

But he didn’t get his transfer wish and will now remain at United, at least until January.

If the club manages to offload him to a Champions League outfit – as this is the competition he wants to be playing in – then United will be able to use his vast wages on two, maybe three new players.

Ronaldo’s transfer desire is clear

Ronaldo’s future came into the spotlight earlier on Thursday. As per Marca and reports coming from Portugal, Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal were hoping to sign Ronaldo in August.

They offered him a huge two-year deal worth just under £210m in total, or £25.5m per season. This would have seen Ronaldo become the highest paid footballer in the world.

However, the 37-year-old pushed back Al-Hilal’s proposal. He doesn’t wish to leave European football just yet and believes he can still make an impact in the UCL.

Some would have expected United to have a quiet January after parting with almost £230m this summer. However, it seems club officials want to ensure Ten Hag is successful and will help him land more new players early next year.

The fact his spending could pass £100m if Ronaldo goes is very interesting. This could see United grant Ronaldo his exit wish, to allow them to improve other areas of the pitch.

Napoli have been touted as potential suitors for the striker, after several other clubs rejected the chance to sign him. Despite their admiration for Ronaldo, they would struggle to meet his wage demands.

Meanwhile, Donny van de Beek could leave Manchester United in January according to a report, despite Erik ten Hag arriving at Old Trafford earlier this year.