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Erik ten Hag has lifted the lid on his time as Manchester United manager during a tell-all interview - and revealed some of the signings he missed out on. The Dutchman went into detail about his time working with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, as well as the club’s recruitment policy. Ten Hag left United under a cloud of disappointment during the autumn of 2024, but since then things haven’t necessarily improved.
Ruben Amorim came and went, while the incumbent United boss, Michael Carrick, is feeling the pressure after just two wins from 10 to start the season.
Things might’ve been much different for Ten Hag though, had he been able to convince the United board to sign three centre-forward targets.
The first would’ve been a seminal signing, with Ten Hag having pushed hard for then-Tottenham striker Harry Kane’s signature. Kane currently has 53 goals in the 2026 calendar year for Bayern Munich and England despite turning 33 in July.
During his interview with The Athletic, Ten Hag claimed: “I said to them, ‘I want only one player - and you know who’, meaning Kane.
“I fought for it. I heard that he was very positive, but I never spoke with him about the issue. I don’t know how the decision process went with John, Richard, the Glazers.”
Kane ended up signing for Bayern Munich in a deal worth £86million, a fee lower than Tottenham would have charged United as they didn't want to sell to a Premier League rival.
Ten Hag added: “I think a club like United, you need these profiles to be successful.
“Personality, and they are mature, and they’re accountable. We signed five, six players, young, high potentials.
“But they are not the finished product. They need guidance from good professionals, like Kane, Rice, and Bruno [Fernandes].”
Speaking of good professionals, Ten Hag also revealed that United looked at bringing the experienced Danny Welbeck back to the club.
He added: “For sure, we were in contact. Not me, often Darren [Fletcher, then United technical director]. And he was very interested.”
The third striker United looked at during Ten Hag’s spell was a forward currently lighting it up in the Premier League - Sunderland's Brian Brobbey. The Dutchman worked with Ten Hag at Ajax and the tactician was keen to bring him to Old Trafford.
On yet another failed pursuit, Ten Hag said: “At first, not everyone was aligned. Then we convinced him, but then we were late, and already he was in a different process.”
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