Erik ten Hag has another Manchester United dilemma that nobody is talking about

There is a long list of tasks for Erik ten Hag to oversee in his first few weeks as the new Manchester United manager. He must finalise transfer targets with the recruitment team, establish which players are in his plans for the new campaign, decide which players are free to leave in the summer window and how he actually wants his team to set up for the start of pre-season.

United's first batch of players will return to Carrington for the official start of pre-season on June 27, with those currently away on international duty set for a staggered return depending on when their respective national team commitments end.

Ten Hag will need the support of his backroom staff in making those decisions, and they should also play a key role in another task he has to consider this summer: deciding on the futures of those players approaching the end of their contracts next year.

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This is of extra importance following the resignation of Matt Judge back in April, with Ed Woodward's right-hand man following the former executive vice-chairman out the door.

Judge was understood to be the man who sounded out agents and gauged whether players wanted to come, and he was often the point of contact representing both United players in negotiations over new deals and players United held an interest in.

Football director John Murtough and his assistant Andy O'Boyle will now have to help take care of such matters and, ahead of the new season, United have eight players who are entering the final year of their contracts at the club.

Marcus Rashford, Fred, David de Gea, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot could all technically leave for free in a year's time, though it is