Erik ten Hag confirms stance on ‘very interesting’ player who has been subject of bids from multiple clubs

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After securing two signings early in the window, the financial reality of Manchester United has come back to rear its head again.

They are now in firmly “sell to buy” mode, with further incoming possible only if money is secured from player sales.

The reality of the situation is not lost on Erik ten Hag, who has accepted that the business from here on could slow down as it is dependent on factors outside their control.

In the meantime, he has sent a clear message to his bosses over his transfer stance on one player who has been the subject of multiple bids over the last few windows.

Erik ten Hag issues a hands-off warning

United face a difficult situation now where the players they are actively looking to sell won’t fetch many lucrative offers. This might be due to form, wages, or the contract situation.

On the other hand, players they are happy to keep are arguably the ones who will attract the best offers. This includes the likes of Bruno Fernandes, who could easily fetch triple figures in the market.

One player who was at the fence of these two extremes has now been shifted firmly to the latter half by Ten Hag.

The Athletic quotes Ten Hag as confirming that they want to keep Scott McTominay at the club next season as he is a ‘very interesting’ player.

He said McTominay is ‘very important for our squad’ after seeing what he contributed last season.

He said: “I think we have very good players so they’ll always have an interest from other clubs. If you score 10 goals in a season and perform very well for Scotland there will be an interest.

“We want to actually keep him because he’s a very important player for our squad. We’ve seen what he can contribute last season. When we had the sixes and he could play in a more advanced role, he’s a highly interesting player for our team.”

Negotiation bluff or genuine thought

Anyone who looks at Ten Hag’s comments will realise at once that this is the standard negotiating tactic in a free market.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe said something similar when he refused to close the door on Mason Greenwood’s return to the club which was always unlikely.

Keeping a hard stance publicly on McTominay will allow United to negotiate well with interested parties when they come forward with bids.

On the other hand, nothing Ten Hag says here is patently false, and last season, his team selections didn’t do anything to quell the notion that he does consider McTominay important.

It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of imagination that the Scot has turned his career around after being subject to bids by West Ham last summer and Fulham this time.

It remains likely that United will still do business but it might only be at a high cost which either prices the player out of the market, or nets the club a fortune, thereby cementing McTominay’s increased standing.