Manchester United youngsters might be able to solve their three transfer priorities
It has been a productive international break for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United. A core group of players went away on national team duty and the majority of them have returned fully fit ahead of the weekend clash with Man City.
The Dutchman has also had plenty of time to plan for the weeks ahead and think about how he will look to tackle a fierce fixture schedule that sees his side play twice a week up until the World Cup.
Ten Hag will need to flex his squad depth if United are to maintain momentum across a range of different competitions, and it won't be long before he has a much clearer idea of what else needs to be done to complete the next stage of his rebuild.
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Another key benefit of the recent break has been a chance for him to sit down with the club hierarchy and analyse what went well in the summer window and what else needs to be done across the next two. John Murtough has already indicated that Ten Hag won't be backed as handsomely next year in the market, and if he wants to spend big, then player sales will need to supplement the initial transfer budget.
It means that United might need to get creative to solve some of their squad issues, and will need to think long and hard about which positions really should be prioritised on a more modest budget.
At the moment in time, there appear to be three areas in particular United need to look at next year. Signing a new striker will no doubt be the priority as they look to ease a reliance on Anthony Martial and offset the expected departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
There is even an argument that United might need two forwards next year, given the fact that resources are already low and they are likely to get