Erik ten Hag must make brutal Manchester United transfer decision soon

Manchester United are about to welcome in a new era with Sir Jim Ratcliffe primed and ready to complete his 25 per cent acquisition of the Reds.

On his list of priorities will be improving the playing squad at United something which Erik ten Hag is no doubt chomping at the bit to accomplish. During his reign in Manchester, the Dutchman has attempted to overhaul the team with differing levels of success.

However, one area which he is attempting to improve and not yet completed is defence, particularly the centre-back position. In the summer and now heading into the winter, United have been linked with a host of centre-backs, most prominently Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo.

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But, to introduce him to the United squad would mean a difficult decision needing to be made by Ten Hag. As things stand; Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire will be at the club beyond this season.

Victor Lindelof's contract expires at the end of the campaign but he is confident his extension clause will be activated for a further year. Jonny Evans is also out of contract in 2024, albeit he could transition towards the backroom set-up if he was to remain in Manchester.

More likely than not then, United will have four centre-backs on the books at the start of next season if no action is taken. This leaves Ten Hag with a difficult choice he must make.

United have a history of activating their one-year clauses so presumably this will be the case with Lindelof. While there is precedent for this decision, the easy option for Ten Hag would be to allow the Swede to leave at the end of the season and fill his place in the