Ten Hag warned he could ‘burn’ over Man Utd transfer policy as Prem is a ‘different story’

Joe Williams
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag is thrown into the air

Former Netherlands international Ronald de Boer and newspaper Algemeen Dagblad have warned new Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag that the Premier League will be a “different story” for his Eredivisie-based recruits.

The Red Devils are set to sign Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord with the wing-back undergoing undergoing initial medical tests on Sunday, while Man Utd have also been linked with Ajax duo Lisandro Martinez and Antony.

There is further Dutch influence on some of Ten Hag’s other reported targets with Netherlands international Frenkie de Jong and former Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen also rumoured to be top targets.


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And now former Barcelona and Rangers midfielder De Boer has been talking to Algemeen Dagblad (via Sport Witness) about Ten Hag and his potential summer transfers, many of which Ten Hag is already familiar with.

“The common football language is an advantage. And as a player you have an advantage if the trainer knows you. Especially in England, where they can throw money and new trainers have yet to discover you,” De Boer said.

“Despite that, I think that trainers should be careful with it. It can get tricky, because a lot of guys of the same nationality meet up in the dressing room. Then you will form groups faster. And if the results diminish, the Dutch are immediately pointed to as the ones who are to blame for the decline.”

On deals for Eredivisie players specifically, Algemeen Dagblad give their own take: ‘An ‘invasion’ of players from a certain corner is usually tolerated in the event of success, but the outside world will unceremoniously burn the trainer and his purchases in the event of lesser results, also because, according to the press and fans, they then hinder the flow of (self-trained) compatriots. To get ahead of or curb that resistance, the newcomers must quickly join the world’s toughest competition.

‘The relatively small defenders Malacia and Martinez may effortlessly hold their own in the Eredivisie, the Premier League is a different story. The game is more intense, the tempo higher and the opposition many times stronger.’