Man Utd risk angering Erik ten Hag as Red Devils ‘lead the race’ for £20m Arsenal target

Manchester United are believed to be leading Arsenal in the race to sign Norwich City defender Max Aarons this summer, which may cause some consternation for incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

Reports from The Sun claim United are one of the favourites to sign the £20m-rated Aarons at the end of the current campaign. The 22-year-old defender has once again been a bright spark for the Canaries in an otherwise frustrating Premier League campaign and, with interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, it is no surprise that Man United have entered the running.

However, news of their pursuit could very well come as quite an unwelcome surprise to Erik ten Hag, who is expected to become the club’s fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. The club's apparent interest could very well risk angering the Dutchman, who has emphasised a strong desire to have an important say in transfers when he moves to Old Trafford.

Ten Hag has garnered a firm reputation for his due diligence and attention to detail, particularly when he is considering a move to a new club. This determination for absolute clarity is believed to have been festered during his early coaching days when he oversaw Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles and Bayern Munich's II team.

The Times claims Ten Hag has regularly been “seeking assurances” from United chiefs Darren Fletcher and John Murtough that he will be able to oversee a complete overhaul of United’s current squad and methods. The 52-year-old supposedly shares the same belief as Ralf Rangnick that United need more physically-gifted players to complement the Reds’ technical stars – and Aarons would certainly slot into this bracket.

But their apparent pursuit of the young defender, before Ten