Erik ten Hag has transfer advantage to tackle Manchester United goals problem

Erik ten Hag was left frustrated by the lack of funds available last January and is set to be equally limited this time around.

Club chiefs may have been the ones to deliver the message that Financial Fair Play concerns are preventing Manchester United from spending much but the Reds boss must take some of the responsibility.

Mason Mount cost £55m and is yet to get going while £72m Rasmus Hojlund has only just scored his first Premier League goal. The spend of 2022 also contributes towards the financial situation with £85m Antony yet to either score or assist this season.

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For all of the £400m dished out during his tenure, Ten Hag still needs another attacker. In reality, the next recruit should be a striker who makes Hojlund the backup - but any acquisition will likely only be a support act to the Dane now.

Ten Hag’s recruitment team will have to try and source players who are available either on loan or at a cut-price. A number of potential names have been bandied about, including Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy.

The attacker is in fine prolific scoring form in Germany, banging in 19 goals in 16 games and has a better games-to-goals ratio than Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane in the Bundesliga, netting 17 in 14 outings.

Reports suggest the 27-year-old has a release clause of just £16m, which looks like an appetising deal. But that also invites competition from other clubs who have greater funds available to them than United do.

The figure may be stretching the limits of what United could afford within FFP regulations too, unless sales are made. United cannot offer Champions League football either, so their only