Chelsea woes show money doesn't equal success - Erik ten Hag

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes Chelsea's struggles this season are a warning sign of how difficult life can be after a takeover.

As the Glazers continue to consider a full or partial sale of United, a process which has been rumbling on since November, Chelsea will visit Old Trafford tonight limping to the end of a hugely disappointing first campaign since a group headed by Todd Boehly bought the club last summer.

There has been no lack of funding as the London club have spent almost £600million in the last two transfer windows, but the investment is yet to pay off with one of the Premier League’s so-called 'Big Six’ stuck down in 12th place, a top-half finish now beyond them.

Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s third manager this term following the early-season dismissal of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter’s ill-fated seven-month spell at the helm, has taken only four points from nine games in interim charge.

Chelsea have been criticised for a scattergun approach in the market, at one point signing so many players they could not all fit in the changing room of their Cobham training ground, and Ten Hag said their experience showed money is not the answer if not spent wisely.

"In this moment a centralisation of good players, of the best managers, also the money is all here in the UK, that makes a great competition but also a tough and a hard competition," he said.

"You have to do the right things, you can have money but you have to do it and spend it in a smart way and you need to have a strategy behind it, otherwise the money doesn’t work."

United have hardly been stingy themselves in recent transfer windows. Ed Woodward, who spent nine years as executive vice-chairman before stepping down early last year, tore through