Erik ten Hag suffers first big blow at Manchester United
Erik ten Hag has a massive task on his hands, to take this Manchester United side back to the top. While his track record at Ajax might have been phenomenal, this will be a whole different ball game for the Dutch manager. The Red Devils have not been at their best since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and have failed to win a single piece of silverware over the past five years.
If Manchester United are to have any hope of challenging for titles next season, they will need to strengthen their squad significantly. One area that needs immediate attention is their defence.
Manchester United have struggled at the back for a long time now. The club must have been hoping that the arrival of Raphael Varane last season would solve their problems but that has not turned out to be the case.
The Red Devils have continued to struggle in defence while Varane himself has had his issues with both form and fitness. Thus, it would not come as any surprise if Ten Hag looked to add another centre-back to his ranks this summer. Ajax’s Jurrien Timber has been one of the players linked with a move to Old Trafford but now, that transfer does not appear to be on the cards.
Ten Hag handed first major blow as Manchester United manager
As reported by Manchester Evening News, Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder told ESPN:
"“I have spoken with Jurrien and I am assuming he is staying at Ajax.“Timber is a smart guy and he knows what is best for himself.“We don’t think he is done at Ajax yet.”"
Judging by Schreuder’s comments, it looks like the new manager is pretty confident that Timber will be staying on at Ajax.
Timber made a name for himself under the management of Ten Hag at Ajax and established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in all of Europe. It is not hard to see why he might be reluctant to join the Dutch manager at Manchester United though, consider the Red Devils’ struggles in recent times and the fact that they do not have Champions League football to offer.