Erik ten Hag's Pep Guardiola criticism gives hint over mood on Man Utd transfers

Erik ten Hag might be beginning to get frustrated behind the scenes as a result of the lack of transfer activity at Manchester United so far this summer.

Judging by his criticism of Pep Guardiola in his first year at Manchester City, it would not be a surprise if the Dutchman was growing more and more frustrated as the new Premier League season approaches. United have yet to sign a player this summer, though there is widespread interest in several targets.

Tyrell Malacia is likely to become the first transfer of the Ten Hag era as the Red Devils look set to swoop in ahead of Lyon to snap up the left-back in a deal worth. While Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is still being worked on in a blockbuster move to kickstart the new regime.

However, United fans are yet to see a new player holding up the shirt so far this summer and Ten Hag might believe history is repeating itself after identifying Guardiola's big problem after his first year at the Etihad. "Only once in his career has Pep made a mistake – in his first year at ­ Manchester City when he completely ­underestimated the power and speed of the Premier League," Ten Hag said in 2020.

“He realised that you can't play the kind of football he loves without ­having a couple of physically strong athletes – and so he brought them in.”

While it shows that Ten Hag will not take the Premier League lightly and understands the physicality of the competition, no new players might give him reason to sweat ahead of pre-season. Ideally, the 52-year-old would want all his business wrapped up as soon as possible.

And the news that Cristiano Ronaldo is demanding a departure will only exacerbate the situation further, adding to an already unsettled bunch of players. Paul Pogba,