Manchester United could land ideal £8million bargain with Erik ten Hag reunion

If there is one underlying positive to take from Manchester United's pre-season progress under Erik ten Hag, then that is 'trust.'

United took somewhat of an educated risk with the appointment of Ten Hag back in April, given his sizeable success was limited to Dutch football, and his managerial accolades were often met with the caveat of the stage on which they were achieved.

Time will tell if Ten Hag really is a success at Old Trafford, but one thing is for sure: he will only be able to do that if he is backed by the club.

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So far, the signs are promising. The Dutchman was allowed to bring in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez while the club is still pursuing a move for Frenkie de Jong on the manager's recommendation.

Ten Hag has also been backed by his handling of the Cristiano Ronaldo saga and has restored authority to the managerial role with his no-nonsense and disciplined approach.

This faith in the new manager, blind or not, needs to remain in place for the rest of the summer at least, and it could come in handy as he looks to reinforce his forward line with at least one new recruit before deadline day.

United are in the market for a versatile forward to add an extra threat to their attack and are also keen on signing a younger centre-forward to help offset the loss of Edinson Cavani and the over-reliance on Ronaldo.

In an ideal world, both positions would be strengthened, though this summer has already proven that things are far from straightforward in the prolonged De Jong pursuit, Jurrien Timber's doubts about a move and Ajax's hefty price-tag for Antony.

Very few transfers are as straightforward as they