"Things will look good again" – Erik ten Hag names 3 key signings Manchester United need to make this summer

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has claimed that his team need to sign a new striker, a new defender, and a new central midfielder ahead of the next term.

The Red Devils, who dished out over £170 million to sign five players last summer, have endured a difficult campaign. They achieved their lowest finish in the Premier League era, finished last in their UEFA Champions League group, and have lost a total 19 times so far.

Speaking recently to Dutch magazine Voetbal International, Ten Hag asserted that Manchester United need a host of new signings to boost their chances of success. He said (h/t X/@TheEuropeanLad):

"We need to sign an extra striker in the summer. And if we can sign another central midfielder and a replacement for [the outgoing Raphael] Varane, things will look good again. If the team remains fit, we can try and aim for top four [in the league] again."

Manchester United, who are thought to have a summer clearout, have been linked with a number of forwards of late. They are reportedly monitoring Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak, and Joshua Zirkzee now.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are keeping tabs on centre-backs like Marc Guehi, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Antonio Silva. They have been heavily linked with Benfica midfielder Joao Neves too.

Frank de Boer urges Dutch forward to snub Manchester United and join rival club soon

Speaking to Italian sports website Calciomercato, ex-Barcelona and Ajax defender Frank de Boer urged Manchester United target Joshua Zirkzee to join Arsenal this summer. He said (h/t Metro):

"I have great respect for Arsenal, they have patience. For example, they had it with [Mikel] Arteta who didn't start well. In some clubs, if it happens like this, you are already out. And [Arteta] has played very well in the last two years. I prefer Arsenal because they have the patience to wait for [Zirkzee] and give him confidence."

Zirkzee, who left Bayern Munich for a fee of over £7 million in 2022, has relished a fine season for Bologna. The 23-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in 37 overall matches this season.

Apart from the Old Trafford club and the north London club, Zirkzee has reportedly been linked with Italian pair Inter Milan and AC Milan.

Prior to joining Bologna from the Bavarians, the Dutch striker enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Belgian side RSC Anderlecht. He recorded 18 goals and 13 assists in 47 matches for them in the 2021-22 term.