Erik ten Hag's £13m wildcard swoop has sent a warning to complacent Manchester United players

Erik ten Hag wants to implement higher standards at Manchester United and he is wasting no time in proving that he really does mean business.

Frenkie de Jong looked like he would be the first new arrival at Old Trafford this summer, but instead he might be pipped to the post by compatriot Tyrell Malacia after United quickly agreed a fee with Feyenoord for his services earlier this week.

United sources remained confident about their plans in the transfer window over the past few weeks, responding to fans' concerns about a lack of early activity with an insistence that negotiations can soon gather pace, and that is exactly what has happened this week.

READ MORE: What Erik ten Hag has said about Tyrell Malacia, Frenkie de Jong and United targets

It also shows just how ruthless Ten Hag really is. Signing a new left-back was not viewed as an essential piece of business this summer, and Malacia will likely occupy the back-up role for the majority of his debut season at the club.

However, it is a move that symbolises the new expectations at Old Trafford, with United's new manager keen to rid his squad of any passengers and implement a fierce competition for places.

It is no coincidence that Luke Shaw played the best football of his senior career when he was spurred on by the genuine threat, albeit a brief one, posed by Alex Telles' arrival.

Telles gave Shaw the proverbial kick up the backside required to realise his place was no longer certain in the United starting line-up, and it perhaps also indicates why his standards slipped when Telles' form dropped off in his second season.

Shaw is expected to start the season as United's first-choice left-back once again, and there is a hope that the 26-year-old could once again be