Erik ten Hag is one of the most sought-after managerial names in world football right now. He seems to be one of the strongest candidates to become the new Manchester United manager.
Reliable sources have said Erik ten Hag to Manchester United is as good as confirmed.
There are strong links suggesting that Ten Hag has been finalized as the new manager by the Manchester United board after interviewing the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique and Julen Lopetegui.
With that seemingly done, let’s look at four signings that Erik Ten Hag could potentially make to rebuild Manchester United.
1. Darwin Núñez
Benfica's 22-year-old striker seems to be in the limelight for all the right reasons this season.
His current stats, 28 goals and three assists in 35 games, speak volumes about the blistering season he is having. To add spark to his transfer rumors to a Premier League club, Núñez changed his agent and signed with Jorge Mendes.
The super agent has a good relationship with many Premier League clubs, and also has his client Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
With the Red Devils in for a long-term striker this summer and Erling Haaland seemingly off to Spain, Núñez surely could be at the top of Ten Hag's list.
2. Rúben Neves
The 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder, represented by Jorge Mendes, is another name linked heavily to Manchester United.
United have been linked to Neves for a couple of years now, with reports from a year ago suggesting that he could've been signed for £36 million. However, Wolves held onto the starman as he continues to be a key player for Bruno Lage's side. The Red Devils are not going to get him for a low fee right now.
Ten Hag has been a keen admirer of Neves and has been watching his progress since his early days at Porto.
With the urgent need for a holding and deep-lying midfielder at Old Trafford, Neves fits the bill perfectly after excelling in the aforementioned positions during his tenure in the Premier League. He boasts 15 goals and eight assists as a defensive midfielder.
3. Antony Matheus dos Santos
Ajax's very own Brazilian starlet, Antony, is a 22 year role left-footed specialist right-winger. Currently playing under Ten Hag, Antony has been in spectacular form in both the Eredivisie and the Champions League.
In 28 games for Ajax in the Eredivisie this season, he has scored eight and assisted four goals. He also has two assists in the UEFA Champions League.
Antony fits the bill perfectly for the system that Ten Hag is famously known for (inverted wingers hugging the touchline). With the only left-footed right winger available at Manchester United being rookie Amad Diallo, it's highly likely that Ten Hag will look for Antony to follow him at Old Trafford.
4. Jurrien Timber
Another player currently playing for Ten Hag, who is highly linked to Manchester United, is Jurrien Timber.
Timber is an aggressive center back who dominates his opponents and is calm and composed with the ball. Not only has he defended well, but he has also been an active contributor going forward. The Dutchman has four goal-contributions across all competitions.
One thing to note here is that Timber started his career as a right-back, and also currently plays there if needed. He switched to being a center back to accumulate the flourishing Noussair Mazraoui in that position.
Ten Hag will look to bolster his centre-back pairing after watching the defensive struggles at Old Trafford in their current campaign.
Manchester United could well use their good relationship with Ajax to bring in the Dutch center back.
Jonathan David (Lille), Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig), Boubacar Kamara (Marseille), Declan Rice (West Ham), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Fabian Ruiz (Napoli) are other names that pop up with links to United often. It remains to be seen whether Ten Hag will end up at Old Trafford, and if he does, what players he will sign.