SUMMARY
- Erik ten Hag wanted to sign Harry Kane in the 2023-24 transfer window before Kane joined Bayern Munich.
- However, ten Hag is also backing Rasmus Hojlund to come good in the coming seasons for Manchester United.
Harry Kane is one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. The Englishman has cemented his legacy as an all-time great with tenacious finishing and mind-boggling stats.
This has made him one of the most sought-after players in the world, with many clubs enquiring about him regularly. Amongst them was Manchester United who was a wanted figure by Erik ten Hag in 2023.
The Dutchman revealed in an interview with Garry Neville how Harry Kane’s rejection led to Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund. He said, “I can see a striker [Kane] who already proved it, who we want[ed] to sign and we couldn’t get him. And then we went to Rasmus because he’s a talent.”
Erik ten Hag also praised the outrageous goalscoring abilities of Harry Kane and believes that Rasmus Hojlund will reach the Englishman’s level soon. The Dutchman’s comments read, “With Harry Kane, you know you get 30 goals. I think Rasmus will get there but he needs time.”
He continued, “It’s not fair to assess him the same as Harry Kane. I would never compare two players because they are very different. But with Rasmus Hojlund, we got the highest potential in the striker position last summer.”
The United manager had a lot to say about some other things about the English club as well. He talked about the injury crisis at the club this season along with criticizing the club’s transfer policy.
Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United have been unlucky with injuries
Manchester United is one of the worst-hit clubs in England in terms of injuries. This has derailed their entire season, with many of the starters being sidelined from the team due to fitness issues. Erik ten Hag believes that injuries are the prime reason that Manchester United have failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season.
He said (via Manchester Evening News), “We do research, but a lot also has to do with bad luck. When you are in a season and the results are not going in a particular way you will also see you pick up more injuries than in a season when everything goes right,”
The Manchester United defense has been ravaged with more injuries than any other department. Players like Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, etc. have missed multiple games in the 23/24 season due to injuries.
Luke Shaw ruled out or a number of months with a leg injury. pic.twitter.com/DeS9SvMZ6a
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 21, 2024
However, Erik ten Hag has still not given up on his team, as United is yet to play the FA Cup final against Manchester City. He said, “But we are still there in the season, we have four games to go, a cup final to play, players are returning and that gives us a good mood into those four next games and the cup final.” The club would be hoping to end the season on a good note by beating Manchester City in the cup final.
Erik ten Hag believes that Manchester United have been poor in the transfer market for a decade
Manchester United’s stakeholders have repeatedly made horrible mistakes during the transfer windows. The club has rarely landed the signings it wanted and has paid over-inflated contracts to undeserving players. This according to Erik has dearly hampered Manchester United who aren’t able to satisfy its fans’ expectations.
He said, “There’s an expectation around every game from us [but] you can only fulfill that expectation when you have those outstanding players. But in the last decade and in this period, we couldn’t always get the players we wanted.”
Five Premier League clubs have spent more money than Man City this summer 😮
Can any of them beat Pep Guardiola’s team to the league title this season? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/rgPkI7AhYM
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) August 8, 2023
The Dutchman admitted that the club tends to sign younger talents after missing out on experienced players. Erik ten Hag believes Rasmus Hojlund is one such case. In order for Manchester United to achieve its long-lost glory, it needs to alter its transfer policy. The club needs to sign some tried and tested players who can produce instant results.
The period of experimentation and trials has set the club in the backseat. It’s high time that Manchester United realizes its mistakes and recuperates from its ongoing crisis.