Man United toss big money for Antony, Casemiro reveals Erik ten Hag’s growing power

When Erik ten Hag sat down for his press conference at Manchester UnitedCarrington’s training ground on Wednesday afternoon, he told reporters he was not in a position to say much about his new €95m future signing. Antony until the paperwork is completed.

His smile said it all. At the time, he already knew he had his people and that his personal battle for a deal over the line had been won.

It’s been a largely positive summer window for Man United, and their new manager is a big winner. The club have never spent more – up to £225m (€261m) – in a single and crucial summer Ten Hag has been backed to bring in his players.

Antony (Officially announced on Friday) and Lisandro Martinez was part of the Ten Hag team at Ajax Amsterdam. Defender Tyrell Malacia is a player he knows all about his time at the opponents Feyenoordwhile Christian Eriksen was invited to coach with Ajax last season as he continues to recover from a heart condition.

Five-time Champions League winner throw-in midfield Casemiro (sign from ) Real Madrid for 70 million euros) and an experienced goalkeeper Martin Dubravka borrowed from Newcastle United Football Clubno wonder Ten Hag is a happy man.

“I analyzed the squad with a clear vision, but we [the same page] from the first talks I had with the club,” he said on Wednesday. They see the same, positions that we definitely have to strengthen. I’m happy in those positions, we analyzed the squad and succeeded in adding quality players. “

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Ten Hag got almost everything he wanted this summer, but it was also a window (also dominated by the story of Cristiano Ronaldo finally booked) sometimes appear messy and reflect the struggle for power behind the scenes.

Ultimately, United signed more players and spent more money than originally planned, and much of that was down to Ten Hag’s persistence. Sources have told ESPN that, more than once, the club wanted to drop out of negotiations with Ajax regarding Antony. The Brazilian winger was a player identified as a possible target in early March, but Ajax’s valuation of more than 80 million euros made the deal difficult from the start.

It was agreed that other attack options would be considered with Chelsea Christian Pulisic and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram given by recruitment department and PSV’s Cody Gakpoagency sharer with Ten Hag, recommended by the manager.

Deals for each were discussed internally, but Ten Hag insisted Antony was still the best fit and begged the club to return to the negotiating table. At the time, Ajax felt encouraged to ask for more – in part to cover solidarity payments owed to Antony’s former clubs – having raised more than 116 million euros in transfers. United have seen a €80m offer rejected and when an improved €90m offer was also rejected, the head of recruitment wanted to close the negotiations.

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Craig Burley explains why Manchester United failed to dominate in their 1-0 win over Leicester City.

It was only after Ten Hag joined again that an agreement was reached for an initial €95 million with another €5 million in addition to create Antony. second most expensive signing in club history behind Paul Pogba when he arrived from Juventus in 2016 for 105 million euros.

With Antony and Martinez in particular, United have backed the manager’s ruling – ironically a policy they say they will leave as sources claim that some of Louis van Gaal’s recruitment decisions were ” a disaster.”

Van Gaal parachuted into a system of signing players that former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward later admitted was “not fit for purpose.” Van Gaal was seen as central to the club’s transfer strategy when he became manager in 2014 and used his power to sign players like Morgan Schneiderlin, Daley Blind and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Woodward felt so intimidated by the experience that he introduced a veto system that gave recruiting, scouts, and managers equal voting rights before signing a contract. That is why manager Jose Mourinho failed in his bid to bring Jerome Boateng to Old Trafford at the end of the summer of 2018 and why Ralf Rangnick failed in his bid to sign the striker in January.

United insist the likes of Martinez and Antony were closely watched prior to Ten Hag’s arrival, but there is no escaping the feeling that the club’s window has been heavily influenced by the player’s wishes. Netherlands.

Sources have told ESPN that there were initially reservations about his plans to sign another centre-back just 12 months after the club spent €48m on him. Raphael VaraneTransfer from Real Madrid.

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Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss Manchester United’s attack as Antony prepares to join Ajax.

The lineup that Ten Hag inherited also includes Harry Maguire (signed in 2019 for £80m), Victor Lindelof (signed in 2017 for £31 million) and Eric Bailly (signed in 2016 for £30m and signed a new long-term contract in April 2021), and there is a feeling within the club that this summer’s budget would be better used elsewhere. But Ten Hag insists he needs a left-footed centre-back to deploy his style of play and in the face of competition from ArsenalMartinez arrives for a fee of 57 million euros that could grow to 67 million euros through variables.

Bailly, who has a contract with United until at least 2024, was sent off to make way for Martinez, while the left-back Alex Telleswho came only in 2020, was sent to Seville after Malacia arrived.

Ten Hag, however, doesn’t have things his own way. There are plans to sign the 33-year-old Bologna striker Marko Arnautovica player he knows from his time FC Twente, was removed after fan outcry. He was also turned down in an attempt to increase interest in one of his former Ajax players, Chelsea‘S Hakim Ziyechwhile his top goal for the summer, Frenkie de Jong – another Ajax alum – still in Barcelona.

Sources have told ESPN that club leaders accept that they should leave negotiations with De Jong sooner than they did. Casemiro, a selection of the recruitment department, was seen by Ten Hag as an acceptable replacement – although it was not part of the original plan to sign players 30 years of age and older – because the need for a number 6 to strengthen midfield is considered important .

Defeat soon Brighton and Brentford (especially that 4-0 humiliation), instead of weakening Ten Hag’s position, only providing him with further evidence that the team is in dire need of reinforcements.

How much of an achievement this summer will be for United will only become clear later, and most of all they will know that big money doesn’t always equal big success. The judges don’t care about newcomers, but not when it comes to the influence Ten Hag is having at Old Trafford. His smile said it all.