Manchester United is in the midst of a rebuild. Under the leadership of INEOS, the Manchester club has started a new cycle and the first decision, which was somewhat surprising, was to keep Erik ten Hag at the helm of the team. The Dutch coach, who has been heavily criticized in recent months, has finally stayed while his management has therefore opted for stability and continuity. Now all that remains is for him to launch his new project and this will involve a major recruitment drive this summer.
In this sense, the first recruits should not be long in arriving and the first is called Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch international, who exploded on the side of Bologna, will go to Manchester in the next few hours to undergo his medical examination. The Red Devils will pay €42.5 million (payable in three years) to secure his services and the player will sign until 2029. He will not be the only Dutch international to land since he should be joined by Matthijs de Ligt. The Bayern Munich defender, as we revealed to you, has reached an agreement with the Mancunian management and all that is missing is an agreement between the two clubs now, but the transfer is at an advanced stage.
Manchester United accelerate for Xavi Simons
But according to information from The SunManchester United does not want to stop at two Dutch recruits… Indeed, Erik ten Hag is keen to sign another Oranje international who played in the Euro in the person of Xavi Simons. The 21-year-old striker is highly coveted this summer since he decided not to stay at PSG. Leipzig wants to keep him but faces strong competition from Bayern Munich and now Manchester United. The tabloid specifies that PSG will only let Xavi Simons leave on loan with an obligation to buy since a clause allows PSV to receive a percentage on a sale if it takes place this summer.
Proof that this file is very concrete for Manchester United, initial contacts already exist with the Dutch striker valued at 80 million euros by PSG. In the last few hours, he spoke in particular with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Erik ten Hag’s new assistant. The former Manchester United star striker knows Xavi Simons since he was his coach at PSV when he had his first big season in the Eredivisie. Now in a number two role, he has already started working for the Red Devils and is talking with his former player. The English press even mentions a “surprise arrival” while the player is tempted by this challenge. This should get people talking…