Erik ten Hag makes Man Utd transfer plan admission ahead of Jim Ratcliffe's arrival

Erik ten Hag has given Manchester United fans a glimpse of his January transfer plans. The Red Devils spent significantly in the summer, racking up a transfer bill of more than £200million, but as United know all too well, money spent doesn't correlate to success.

Despite a win over Chelsea on Wednesday and moving within three points of Manchester City, United have put together a disappointing season so far, sitting bottom of their Champions League group and struggling to enter the title conversation in the Premier League.

United have traditionally spent poorly over recent years, and it is too early to say whether Mason Mount, Andre Onana and others will prove to be successful signings after arriving on big money in the summer. But amid the expected arrival of Jim Ratcliffe as a partial owner, who will demand changes in how the sporting department of the club is run, Ten Hag is not ruling out further additions this winter, even if he does admit squad additions are unlikely.

The Dutchman told the United We Stand fanzine: "I don’t think so – and if so, the approach from United should be that if you can improve your team, then you should do. What we expect from every player coming to Carrington every day is for them to give their maximum, to give their best.

“As a club, you have to look for improvements, so if you can find better and it’s realistic financially and with financial fair play, I think the club has to go with it. But realistically, in relation to the market, most of the time you don’t attract the best players in the winter. The top, top players will not leave their clubs in the winter. It’s players who are disappointed, injured or just not the right fit or whatever.”

Ten Hag has been under serious pressure of late, but the win over Chelsea may help him ease the tense atmosphere around Old Trafford. Though, much of the pressure has come from the money spent in the summer, and in some ways, it may make his job even more difficult if United invest further in January.