Paul Merson stunned Ten Hag didn’t sign £43m Tottenham player

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Paul Merson has questioned Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag for not signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven.

Erik ten Hag is once again receiving major criticism after another Manchester United defeat.

United lost 3-0 to Newcastle United on Wednesday night, crashing out of the Carabao Cup with a dismal performance.

United continue to leak goals and Ten Hag is now being questioned for not signing one of his fellow Dutchmen…

Paul Merson asks why Manchester United didn’t sign Micky van de Ven

Pundit Paul Merson simply can’t believe that United didn’t move to sign Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg.

The Netherlands international joined Tottenham in a deal worth around £34.5million rising to £43million over the summer.

Van de Ven has been simply sensational so far this season, making an immediate impact in the Tottenham back line.

Merson has now told Sky Sports (01/11, 10:20pm) that he doesn’t understand why United didn’t sign Van de Ven.

Merson believes that Ten Hag should have known all about Van de Ven and brought him to United given his lack of centre back quality.

The former Arsenal ace added that Van de Ven is now one of the top defenders in the Premier League right now and United decision-makers should be asking ‘serious questions’ of Ten Hag having missed out.

“I would be asking questions if I owned the club,” said Merson. “I would be sitting there now and I would be going to you, as the manager, ‘why didn’t we get the lad at Tottenham? He’s Dutch. You are Dutch. You know the league. You know the players. Why is he at Tottenham and he isn’t here? And we haven’t got a centre-half’.

“No disrespect to Evans, but you are playing a 30-odd-year-old next to Maguire. Varane can’t get fit. Lindelof, I don’t think is a real centre-half, if I am being totally honest. I wouldn’t mind him marking me. Then you are looking at this player, who is one of the best centre-halves in the league, at the moment. And he isn’t playing for Man United. He wasn’t £80-90 million. Serious questions,” he added.

Would Van de Ven have joined United?

We can understand this to an extent; Van de Ven has looked superb in the first few months of the Premier League season.

Van de Ven is tall, physical, comfortable on the ball and has blistering pace, whilst he still has untapped potential at just 22.

That’s the kind of player United should want but maybe a summer move for Van de Ven just didn’t add up.

United already have a left-footed centre back in Lisandro Martinez and spending more money on that area would have been a surprise.

Yes, Martinez has struggled with a couple of injuries this year, but Ten Hag has been comfortable with Luke Shaw in that role when needed.

United have been unlucky with Shaw out injured too, so it’s easy to say, with hindsight, that United should have signed Van de Ven.

It’s also important to note what Van de Ven wanted.

The Independent’s Miguel Delaney claimed last week that Van de Ven rejected Liverpool because they couldn’t guarantee a starting role.

Any United move probably would have been a similar story given the presence of Martinez, so we aren’t going to go too hard on Ten Hag here.