Manchester United will be in the market for some high quality additions this summer.
Their transfer policy in recent seasons has been very questionable, often seeming to target big name players before considering how they will fit in their squad. The result has been a hodgepodge group of highly paid footballers who don't really mesh together on the pitch.
Erik ten Hag will be hoping to change that in the next few windows. The Dutchman is sure to have discussed possible targets with the club ahead of his arrival at Old Trafford in the weeks ahead, with the midfield sure to be an area of focus.
The club are badly in need of some new faces in that position, with both a holding midfielder and more box-to-box sort of player required over the next 12 months or so, with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard all set to depart at the end of the campaign.
However, United have reportedly already hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of a number of players.
Erik ten Hag & Manchester United set to miss out on key targets
The Daily Star are reporting that Manchester United have already been rejected by four key targets, with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic all set to snub a move to the club.
Those four players have long been linked with a move to Old Trafford, although it appears that none will be arriving in the months ahead.
West Ham are rumoured to be seeking a fee of in excess of £150million for Rice and are also attempting to tie him down to a new contract. It has also been suggested that the midfielder could stay at the London Stadium for one more season before moving on.
Jude Bellingham could well be in the same boat, with Borussia Dortmund adamant that they will not be selling both Erling Haaland and the England international in the same summer. At 18-years old, another year in Germany could aid his development in any case. Lazio have also reportedly informed United that Milinkovic-Savic is not for sale at any price.
Kalvin Phillips will certainly leave Leeds if they are relegated at the end of the season, although a move to Manchester United would be a controversial one. A boyhood Leeds supporter, he might not be too enthused by the prospect of moving to the old enemy.
Of course, all of these moves are made more difficult by the lack of Champions League football at Old Trafford next season. United may well have to pay over the odds to attract players as a result, the type of approach that has brought about their current predicament in the first place.
It will be a big summer for Erik ten Hag, but it certainly won't be a straightforward one.
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