Ten Hag 'realistic' over Man United's drawn-out pursuit of Barcelona midfielder De Jong


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Erik ten Hag has said he would prefer to have concluded all of Manchester United's transfer business in time for the start of pre-season but is "realistic" as the Premier League club continue their drawn-out pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong.

United's squad is starting to take shape under Ten Hag, who took over as manager in May, with the arrivals of Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, and Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez from former club Ajax.

Still, there remain plenty of gaps in the squad to fill ahead of the new season, particularly in midfield following the departures of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, and Andreas Pereira.

Barcelona's De Jong is Ten Hag's top midfield target and an agreement over a £72 million ($86m) transfer has reportedly been in place for some time. However, a conclusion to the deal does not appear close, with reports claiming the 25-year-old Netherlands international is reluctant to leave Barcelona for United, while the €17m ($17.3m) Barca owe De Jong in deferred wages has created another obstacle.

Ten Hag admitted that he would have preferred to have wrapped up the deal by now, in addition to any other transfer business United hope to conduct this summer, but conceded the nature of professional football means that is not always possible.

"That's for sure," Ten Hag said in an interview with Sky Sports. "The best and the most perfect situation is when you start pre-season with the squad fully equipped, but most of the time that's not the fact of football, so I am realistic and I have to deal with the fact."

As United continue to push for De Jong, Ten Hag said he was pleased with the signings the club have already made and believes they can bring something new to the team.

Frenkie de Jong trains in Miami ahead of Barcelona's pre-season friendly game against Inter Miami . Getty
Frenkie de Jong trains in Miami ahead of Barcelona's pre-season friendly game against Inter Miami . Getty

"Eriksen is an experienced player, he's played in Holland, Italy and especially England with Spurs, so a long career and also a lot of caps for the Danish national squad," the Dutchman said. "I think the whole Premier League knows what he can do, what he can contribute to the team, and I would call that creativity.

"Martinez is a different type. He's a warrior, he brings aggressiveness, but he can also play football and has a good left foot. That is also what you need in the balance of the team, players who can create and also players who can defend.

"The defending part, we want to be proactive, and to be in the highest intensity defending. We are now three weeks on our way, and we are working on the defending part as well to be proactive."

As important as recruiting new players will be Ten Hag's ability to get the best out of United's current players. The likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have struggled to find their best form in recent seasons but have impressed so far during United's pre-season tour of the United States. Meanwhile, academy players such as Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal have made the most of opportunities in the team.

Erik ten Hag believes Christian Eriksen will provide 'experience and creativity' to Manchester United's midfield. Reuters
Erik ten Hag believes Christian Eriksen will provide 'experience and creativity' to Manchester United's midfield. Reuters

Ten Hag said every player will be given a fresh start and insisted it is down to them to make the most of the opportunity.

"Every new season is a new start," he said. "Of course there is a past, but we don't have to look back at the past, we have to look into the future.

"Those players have high potential, and when we construct a team, and they take the responsibility for their fitness, I am sure they will perform, and we will get the right results.

"I think it's always a matter of developing. That's with experienced players and with younger players. I am a coach, I am not afraid, if players are good enough and are old enough, I will play them.

"We set a high standard, and values, and the team respond to it. We are happy with that."

Marcus Rashford is among the Manchester United players aiming to take advantage of a 'new start' under Erik ten Hag. Getty
Marcus Rashford is among the Manchester United players aiming to take advantage of a 'new start' under Erik ten Hag. Getty

While being happy with United's progress in pre-season, Ten Hag revealed that there is still much work ahead to be ready for the new campaign.

"I see they respond well, and every session they give maximum, and that is also transferred into the game," he said. "I am not satisfied, I think they have to bring more, but it will not come overnight. It takes time, it's a process.

"We need the full pre-season, minimum, but I know also at the start of the season we will not be ready, but I know also at the start we will need results."

100 notable transfers of the summer

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh875,000

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Toilet cleaner

1 cup baking soda 

1 cup castile soap

10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice) 

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1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.

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Air Freshener

100ml water 

5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this) 

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Brief scores:

Day 1

Toss: South Africa, field first

Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48

South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Continental champions

Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)

Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)

Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)

Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)

Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)

Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation

THE SPECS

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Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm

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Transmission: 6-speed manual

Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km

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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
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LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Stoke City v Tottenham

Brentford v Newcastle United

Arsenal v Manchester City

Everton v Manchester United

All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.

Volunteers offer workers a lifeline

Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.

When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.

Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.

“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.

Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.

“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
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Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Price: From Dh149,900

Mica

Director: Ismael Ferroukhi

Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani

3 stars

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Director: Jon Favreau

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')

Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')

Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)

Updated: July 19, 2022, 10:49 AM