Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag believes former interim boss Ralf Rangnick was "absolutely right" about his assessment of the club during his time in charge.
Ten Hag was appointed as Rangnick's successor in 2022, with the German spending seven months in charge at Old Trafford.
Rangnick, who led Austria to the last 16 at Euro 2024, finished in sixth with 58 points, United's worst points-total record in their Premier League history.
Ahead of the Dutchman's arrival at the club, Rangnick said Ten Hag must perform an "open-heart operation" rather than fixing "minor cosmetic things".
Ten Hag has since won 68 of his 114 games in charge, winning two trophies in his first two seasons at the helm, which included a 13th FA Cup back in May.
United lost a record 14 games last season, with Ten Hag making reference to Rangnick's comments he made two years ago.
"Rangnick was absolutely right," Ten Hag said in an interview with Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld.
"We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation.
"And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job."
Ahead of the new season, United have undergone major changes off the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club last December.
Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell have all joined in positions at board level this year, while the club have committed £50m to improving the training ground.
United have also confirmed the arrivals of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro in recent weeks, something Ten Hag has praised the new ownership structure for.
“It is very good that we are also there on the front foot, we are very proactive," said Ten Hag.
"So, (the) leadership is doing a great job in this moment and that’s how we want to act as United."
"We are highly ambitious and you have to be on the front foot and be ready for the season.
"The earlier you get your players in then (the faster) you can work on your team."
Ten Hag is expected to return to the transfer market to bolster his squad, confirming his interest in Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt.
"It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come," said Ten Hag.
"Of course I know Matthijs well, I'm not going to deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago, but he had already gone a long way with Bayern Munich."
The defence remains a key focus for Ten Hag, having seen his side ship 58 goals last season - the most they have conceded in the Premier League.
Arsenal announce arrival of goalkeeper Setford from Ajax
Arsenal have confirmed the arrival of young goalkeeper Tommy Setford from Ajax for just under £1 million.
Setford, who is an England youth international, arrives at the Emirates on a four-year deal, with the Gunners holding the option of a further 12 months.
The 20-year-old had entered the final year of his contract with Ajax, with the Dutch club opting to sell rather than risk losing him on a free next year.
Setford has been signed for the academy but will regularly train with the first team and will fly out to join Mikel Arteta's squad for their pre-season tour of the United States.
The young goalkeeper has opted for a move to the Premier League due to the pathway to first-team opportunities at Arsenal.
Setford is the second teenage goalkeeper Arsenal have signed this transfer window, having already brought in Lucas Nygaard from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland.
During the 2023-24 season, Setford kept six clean sheets in 15 appearances for the Dutch club, conceding 15 goals in that time.
“I want to thank Arsenal for this opportunity. I can’t wait to hit the ground running," Setford told Arsenal's official website.
“I already know Ethan [Nwnaeri] and Myles [Lewis-Skelly]. They’re great guys and I can have a good laugh with them.
"I spent a few camps with them, so I know them well. I just saw them for a quick meet and greet!
“I’m looking forward to learning new things next season and pushing myself to another level.
"For the short term, it’s very important now to get a feel for the group and start to know everyone.”
Costa confirms Neves bid amid Premier League interest in Benfica star
Benfica president Rui Costa has said that a bid has been tabled for the services of 19-year-old midfielder Joao Neves.
Neves, who featured in Portugal's quarter-final run at Euro 2024, has been of interest to Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal.
The midfielder made 55 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles last season, scoring three times and helping the club lift a ninth Portuguese Super Cup.
Neves played just 77 minutes at the European Championships in Germany, but has attracted interest for his assured midfield displays at club level.
The 19-year-old ranked second for most successful passes in the Primeira Liga (1794), only bettered by Sporting CP defender, Goncalo Inacio (2154).
Neves has a €120million (£101 million) release clause in his contract, with Costa saying the club are discussing a bid that was made in the last few days, and that they would even be prepared to accept an offer below that valuation.
"I never said that Joao Neves would only leave for his release clause and therefore, those claims are false," Costa said, per A Bola.
"What I can say in relation to Joao Neves is that there is an offer on the table. That has been in the news in the last days but I’m not going to say where this proposal stands.
“There is a proposal on the table which is being evaluated and is being discussed. But at this moment, Joao Neves remains a Benfica player.
"It’s not that I want to hide the ins and outs because I understand that Benfica fans want to know whether Joao will be leaving or not.
“But at this moment, there are ongoing negotiations, so please allow me to be reserved about this subject so we can take care of what will be best outcome for Benfica.”
It would mark yet another huge financial sum received by the 38-time Primeira Liga champions in recent years.
The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez, Ruben Dias and Joao Felix have all made big money moves over the past five years, bringing in an estimated €404million.
Kinnear hails Cincinnati's 'remarkable' road form despite defeat
FC Cincinnati head coach Dominic Kinnear remains optimistic about their chances of topping the table despite suffering a third consecutive defeat.
Cincinnati lost 3-1 to the New York Red Bulls in MLS on Saturday, after two goals from Lewis Morgan on either side of Kyle Duncan's strike.
Corey Baird scored a consolation for the visitors but could not inspire a comeback as they slipped five points behind Eastern Conference leaders Inter Miami, who beat Chicago Fire 2-1.
Cincinnati have not won since a 6-1 thrashing of the Herons at the start of July, losing the following three by an aggregate score of 7-2, but Kinnear is unbothered by the team's recent form.
"I think this is our second road loss of the year, which is remarkable, so I think we know who we have, but we have a lot of players missing," Kinnear said.
"It's difficult to go three games in a week with players missing. We've shown in 25 games in the league that we're one of the better teams in the league, and we will not step back from that."
Columbus Crew are just five points behind Cincinnati, with two games in hand over them heading into the Leagues Cup break.
Pat Noonan's side are still targeting a top-spot finish despite their recent slump, and Kinnear believes this defeat will serve them well if they end up having to play on the road in the playoffs.
"This could be a preview of a playoff game," he said. "We've played these guys in the playoffs before, so you've got to be battle-tested to want to beat these guys, which we've done in the past, but also be battle-tested to win on the road in the playoffs.
"We are hoping to finish top of our conference to get that home playoff game, but sometimes that may not happen, and you have to come out on the road."
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