Man Utd dealt blow as Ten Hag target drops hint on future as contract talks with Bundesliga club continue
Manchester United have been dealt a blow ahead of the summer transfer window as one of Erik ten Hag’s target has dropped a hint over his future.
Ten Hag’s side are expected to be busy this summer as they look to strengthen several areas. Adding more creativity and firepower is seen as a priority in the next window.
RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo has been a target for Man Utd of late. His versatility would make him a useful player under a manager like Ten Hag.
Capable of playing as an advanced playmaker or as a forward himself, Olmo ticks a lot of boxes for Man Utd. The 25-year-old is out of contract in 2024 and speculation over his future is rife.
The Spanish international has opened up on his future as the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid are also interested.
“We are still in talks with RB Leipzig. In the next weeks we will know everything,” Olmo told Sky Deutschland (via Sports Mole).
If Olmo doesn’t decide to extend his contract, he could be available this summer for as little as £26million. However, a new contract could scupper these plans.
The 25-year-old has had a stop-start campaign this time around. He has suffered from a series of injuries and has only started in 14 league matches.
In that time he has scored two goals and provided four assists. He has averaged a goal contribution every 199 minutes, which is decent going.
Man Utd have alternative targets
If Olmo does decide to extend his deal in Germany, Man Utd could be forced to look elsewhere. Ajax forward Mohammed Kudus has been another player on their radar for some time.
Similarly to Olmo, he is capable of playing in a number of positions. For club and country this season he has scored 22 goals and provided five assists.
The Ghanaian forward particularly stood out at the World Cup, where he scored two goals against South Korea.
David Ornstein recently revealed that Kudus is ‘set to leave’ Amsterdam and has already rejected the chance to extend his stay beyond 2025.
Along with another creative option, Ten Hag is also keen on signing an out-and-out striker. Wout Weghorst is regarded as a stop-gap option while Anthony Martial has struggled to stay fit.
Marcus Rashford has stepped up to the plate under Ten Hag, but the manager will want to ease the goalscoring burden on him next season.
Man Utd have been liked with the likes of Harry Kane, Randal Kolo Muani and Victor Osimhen to solve this problem. All three forwards have an excellent track record, but wouldn’t come cheap.
Along with attacking reinforcements, signing a defender and a holding midfielder is also on the agenda this summer.
With the club likely to be back in the Champions League, Ten Hag will be desperate to add more depth so that they are able to compete on multiple fronts.
