‘Make progress’ - What Erik ten Hag said about Man Utd’s plans to sign a striker

Erik ten Hag has confirmed Manchester United have made ‘progress’ in their plans to sign a new striker.

After securing the signatures of Andre Onana and Mason Mount so far this window, the Red Devils plan to bring in a centre-forward next. Despite all the talk of Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane at the start of this week, the player United are targeting is Ramsus Hojlund, and an official bid is expected this week from the Red Devils.

While Ten Hag wasn’t drawn on any names, he did confirm on Monday that United are advancing with their pursuit of a new no.9. “We make progress, yeah, but you know how it works. When we have him, we will tell you,” he said ahead of the friendly against Wrexham in San Diego.

“I think what I can say is we will do everything what’s in our power to get that done. And, to me, yeah, as soon as possible,” he continued. “How early, the better, because we have to integrate them in the team, in the way of play. So, in an ideal situation, he was already here. But you’re not always getting ideal situations as a manager and you have to deal with the situation.”

For all the talk of United’s need to bring in a new striker, it’s easy to overlook they do already possess a goalscoring no.9. Ten Hag regularly praised Anthony Martial throughout the 2022/23 campaign, but his inability to stay fit, and a dip in form at the end of the season, left the United boss frustrated.

Ten Hag is willing to let Martial leave this summer and he’s been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. When asked whether the attacker has a place in his squad this season, the Dutchman didn’t get an unequivocal response.

“We need a good squad and Anthony Martial is a brilliant football player and so he will help us,” said the ex-Ajax manager. “He scored goals and also in other areas of football like pressing, in possession, combinations. He’s a great player and, yeah, let’s hope he will be fit and he stays fit.

Ten Hag also revealed Martial is back in training following the hamstring tear he suffered in May. “Today he was in the team training, so that is really hopeful,” explained the 53-year-old. “And, yeah, of course, when you have a player in a squad you expect that he is available and then the players have to take the responsibility to be available.”