Ten Hag explains why Man Utd were right not to buy another striker last summer

24 February 2024 , 07:50

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Ten Hag explains why Man Utd were right not to buy another striker last summer

Erik ten Hag insists Manchester United were right not to sign a second striker last summer due to Anthony Martial still being at the club amid their Financial Fair Play concerns.

The Red Devils were fined €300,000 (£257,000) back in July after committing breaches of UEFA's FFP regulations, serving as a warning for stronger punishments if they didn't curve their spending. Old Trafford chiefs subsequently gave Ten Hag a smaller budget compared to his first summer transfer window in 2022.

United didn't pursue top target Harry Kane and instead focussed on Atalanta hotshot Rasmus Hojlund, who the Red Devils eventually signed for £72million in August, a move which raised eyebrows. With Hojlund only being 20 at the time, Ten Hag hoped that Martial would step up and take the burden off the young Dane, but he's been left disappointed.

Martial, 28, has spent much of the season sidelined with injury and could've played his final game in a United shirt due to his £250,000-a-week contract expiring in June. Now would've been a perfect opportunity for the France international to stake his claim for a new deal, as Hojlund has been ruled out for a few weeks after picking up a muscle injury in training following his run of eight goals in his last seven Premier League games.

Speaking after the news of Hojlund's injury emerged on Friday, Ten Hag was asked if he regretted not bringing in another striker to supplement his options. "We were happy to bring Rasmus Hojlund in," the Red Devils boss explained. "We had two strikers. Martial has done great things for us last season. So he is also on high payment in this club. We should have expected more, that is the truth. But to bring in another striker, that means you rule him (Martial) totally out at the start of the season.

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Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial are both out injured (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

"Then there is Marcus Rashford so actually we had three strikers in our squad. If you bring in a fourth, the prospects for the others will get short. So I thought - we thought - we had options. I wanted to bring in a striker in the winter but it was not possible. And we already had our problems with FFP in the summer."

With Hojlund missing this Saturday's match at home to Fulham, Ten Hag is expected to hand a first competitive start to highly-rated academy prospect Omari Forson. The London-born 19-year-old is expected to start out wide, with Rashford playing as a central striker and Alejandro Garnacho on the other flank.

Nathan Ridley