Erik ten Hag is enjoying a stunning first season at Manchester United and later this week, he has the chance to take one huge step toward a first final at Wembley.
United are trophyless in each of their last five seasons but the Dutchman will be hoping to put an end to that unwanted run this campaign, with a semi-final double-header against Nottingham Forest awaiting the Reds in the Carabao Cup.
As part of his revolution at the club, Ten Hag has completely replaced the spine of the side, with Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay two of the players forced to make way for summer arrivals.
Lisandro Martinez followed Ten Hag from Amsterdam and the Argentine almost immediately became a fan-favourite at Old Trafford. Further up the pitch, five-time Champions League winner Casemiro has made the holding midfield position his own.
As a result, Maguire and McTominay have both been linked with moves away from the club and now, it is being reported that United are ready to move on.
According to talkSPORT, the Reds are ready to let both Maguire and McTominay leave the club but not until the summer, with Ten Hag seemingly still counting on them until the end of the season.
As per the report, Maguire has interest from West Ham whilst Newcastle and Southampton have both enquired about McTominay. It’s claimed that Ten Hag believes the pair still have a role to play this season.
McTominay and Maguire were two of the first names on the teamsheet under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but that has changed under Ten Hag.
SN’s verdict…
Solskjaer liked Maguire and McTominay but the feeling was always that if United were to return to their dominant ways, they were going to have to upgrade at some point.
That upgrade has come in form of Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Casmiro and that’s hard to argue against – especially when they are all performing exceptionally well.
United’s squad is, however, shockingly thin at the moment and Ten Hag is wise in waiting until the summer before sanctioning any exits.
