Michel admitted that Girona are no longer the same team that took LaLiga by storm last season and urged them to rediscover their identity.

Girona were the surprise package last season, going toe-to-toe with Real Madrid and Barcelona in the title race before eventually finishing third in LaLiga.

However, the club let go of Golden Boot winner Artem Dovbyk, who scored 24 LaLiga goals last season, and influential midfielder Aleix Garcia in the transfer window.

Though they brought in reinforcements, including Donny van de Beek from Manchester United, they have not yet found their rhythm, losing each of their last three games in all competitions. 

In that run, which includes a 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League debut, they have managed a combined eight shots on target from 20 attempts, and netted just one goal, failing to score in each of the last two. 

"Things happen for a reason," Michel told a news conference. "Our reality is that we have lost three games in a row, and it is difficult because people expect the team to win.

"Right now we are not the team we were last year, we are another one."

"With the ball, we are not hurting the opponent and this means that we have to suffer. We must play with fewer touches and be able to look up and for that I need high intensity. This is a machine that has to work now.

"Right now we are 12th and that is our reality. We have to improve to win games continuously as people expect. We have to go through the process, and we will suffer."

Winger Portu is available after an ankle knock, giving Michel a fully fit squad as he prepares to face the club where he spent most of his playing career and took his first steps into management.

"It's a special match which I never enjoy. It will always be like this," Michel added. "[Rayo] is the club where I have lived, and my life is in Vallecas.

"They are a great team in every way. They are the team that presses the most and best in the league, and they have a higher intensity than anyone else. It isn't easy to create scoring chances against them."

Donny van de Beek has confirmed he is leaving Manchester United.

The former Ajax midfielder, who signed for United in 2020, is joining Girona in a cut-price deal reportedly worth only €600,000 (£500,000) prior to add-ons.

Van de Beek was never able to cement a place in United's midfield, and looked set to leave last year, only for a move to Lens to fall through.

While the 27-year-old's departure had not been officially announced by United, Van de Beek shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday.

"Dear Manchester United family. Today is a memorable day as my adventure at the club comes to an end," he wrote.

"I want to thank you all for your support throughout the years. From the moment we arrived at Manchester United, we felt extremely welcome and we are grateful for that.

"Thank you to everyone at the club for making us feel at home. A special thanks to all the fans that made these years unforgettable. Besides the football, the birth of our two children here ensures that Manchester will always have a special place in our hearts. Good luck to everybody, we'll meet again."

Across his four seasons at Old Trafford, Van de Beek – a star of the Ajax team that reached the Champions League semi-finals under Erik ten Hag in 2018-19 – played just 35 Premier League games for United, starting just six of those.

He spent half of the 2021-22 season on loan at Everton, scoring one goal in seven appearances. 

Van de Beek joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan in January, but played only eight times in the Bundesliga.

Girona finished third in LaLiga last season, and will play in the Champions League in the coming campaign.

Erik ten Hag has blamed injuries for ruining Donny van de Beek’s spell at Manchester United and insisted his experience should not put off other players from signing for the club.

Van de Beek, 26, has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season, having failed to establish himself under any of three different managers – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Ten Hag – at United since joining from Ajax in the summer of 2020.

The £35million midfielder made only 23 starts during his three and a half years at Old Trafford, and already spent time away on loan when he joined Everton for the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, again being limited by injuries at Goodison Park.

Ten Hag worked with Van de Beek at Ajax but hopes that a reunion in Manchester might revive the midfielder’s fortunes proved misplaced.

“He has had many injuries, first of all,” Ten Hag said. “From the first moment I came in here at Manchester United, he wasn’t the player he was at Ajax because he was injured. So many times he was not available and then he struggled for a long time to recover from that injury.

“That is probably the main reason why he was not playing. We decided for a loan in the summer but it didn’t come and then his opportunities are few because also we make appointments and we make agreements with players and contract players in that position. The competition was high.”

Van de Beek is among a number of players who have joined United in big-money deals in recent seasons but then struggled to live up to the billing, with £72million winger Jadon Sancho also close to leaving on loan in this transfer window after a public falling out with Ten Hag.

But asked if others might look at Van de Beek’s experience and be wary of moving to Old Trafford, Ten Hag disagreed.

“That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities,” he said. “But I can tell you one thing – the Premier League is tough. Man United, that is tough to play there because it’s more easy to play in almost any other team than Man United because the pressure is that high always.

“You have to deal with that. But if you have confidence in yourself, this is the best challenge and this is definitely the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends on player to player, and it depends especially on the character of the player, their personality.”

Ten Hag will take his United side to Wigan on Monday night for their FA Cup third-round tie.

Andre Onana will be in the squad and should also be available to face Tottenham next weekend before joining up late with Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations.

But Onana’s back-up Altay Bayindir is yet to make his debut after a summer move from Fenerbahce and the trip to the DW Stadium could be an opportunity to give the Turkey goalkeeper a taste of first-team action before he is needed more regularly.

Ten Hag insisted he had confidence in all of his goalkeepers despite the decision not to use Bayindir in the Carabao Cup before Christmas.

“At some point Andre will go,” he said. “We are totally happy and we constructed this group of keepers because we are comfortable with this. We have confidence in them both and both are very good goalkeepers, both experienced at the highest levels.

“I think we can have a lot of belief that we have coverage, but not only coverage but competition between two or three. We are sure that if Andre has to go that we are good, we are in a good place and have a good replacement to fill that gap.”

What the papers say

Conor Gallagher, 23, could be used to raise funds for new arrivals at Chelsea in January. The Daily Mail reports the club are willing to consider offers for the England midfielder with Brentford striker Ivan Toney, 27, and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, 24, among the potential targets.

Brentford are looking for a new striker, regardless of whether Toney stays, according to The Daily Telegraph. USA international Brandon Vazquez, 25, who is at FC Cincinnati, is among the players in their sights.

Manchester United are open to offers on a string of internationals, according to The Guardian. England winger Jadon Sancho, 23, France striker Anthony Martial, 28, and defender Raphael Varane, 30, Brazil midfielder Casemiro, 31, and Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek, 26, could all be allowed to leave Old Trafford in January.

David Moyes retains the confidence of West Ham says The Daily Telegraph. The 60-year-old manager saw his side lose 5-0 at Fulham on Monday.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Mason Holgate: Everton want to recall the defender, 27, from his loan spell at Southampton due a shortage of playing time, reports The Sun.

Reuell Walters: Clubs in the Premier League and Europe are watching the English defender, 18, but Arsenal have held talks to keep him according to the Evening Standard.

What the papers say

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek is likely to stay at the club until the next transfer window in January despite interest from clubs in Turkey and Qatar, the Mirror reports. The 26-year-old only played seven games last season and is yet to feature for the club so far in 2023-24.

The Mirror also says Turkish club Besiktas are hoping to land 20-year-old Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri on loan before the Turkish transfer window closes.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is close to joining Turkish club Rizespor before the deadline on Friday, according to the Telegraph.

Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter turned down possible chances to manage Lyon in France and Rangers in Scotland, the Sun says.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Thomas Partey: Juventus have identified the Arsenal midfielder as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba, who could be forced out of the club if he is found to have breached anti-doping laws, Italian outlet La Repubblica reports.

Eden Hazard: The former Chelsea man is reportedly considering retirement after his release from Real Madrid, according to CaughtOffside.

Donny van de Beek celebrated a “big moment” after the Manchester United midfielder returned from a long-term knee injury to score the winner in a 1-0 pre-season victory over Lyon at Murrayfield.

The Netherlands international had not played since suffering a knee problem in United’s win at Bournemouth on January 3.

He has struggled to establish himself since arriving at Old Trafford from Ajax, where he played under United boss Erik ten Hag, in the summer of 2020 and has been linked with a move away from the Red Devils this summer.

“It was great. My first game after six months. I don’t have to tell you after such an injury, such a mentally difficult period for me and my family, to be back on the pitch was great and it is nice if you score a goal,” Van de Beek told MUTV.

“It is amazing because I have been looking forward to this moment for months. I know it is just a friendly game but for me it is a big moment.”

United started brightly with three big chances inside five minutes, with Antony denied by Anthony Lopes before Amad Diallo dragged a shot wide and had another parried away by the Lyon goalkeeper.

Van de Beek was one of 11 changes made at half-time and his goal came just four minutes later as he latched on to youngster Dan Gore’s chipped cross from the right to volley first time into the top corner.

Jonny Evans played the second half for United having returned to the club on a short-term deal.

The 35-year-old academy graduate, who won three Premier League titles and the Champions League at Old Trafford before leaving in 2015, will join the squad on their pre-season tour of the USA.

“He came to train with us, to work on his fitness and not all the players are in – internationals are out, still having their break – so I thought it was a good idea to help each other out,” Ten Hag said. “Jonny can work on his fitness and he can help us out.

“The level, we know he is a really experienced player but also a very good person, a big personality and I think he has big authority as well. He will help the young players especially. It is a benefit for both sides.”

After the match, Ten Hag added: “You can see he is a fine character, he is a leader. He understands football. He really contributed to the good performance of the team in the second half.”

The future of Ansu Fati at Barcelona appears to be increasingly uncertain.

Fati was a revelation when he first broke into the Barca first team, but has suffered several injury issues that have halted his momentum.

Even when fit, Fati has struggled to get into Xavi's side this season, featuring in 30 games but only nine times from the start, with six goals and three assists to show for it.

And reports are starting to emerge that vultures may be circling to offer the Spain international more regular football.

TOP STORY – BAYERN LEAD THE WAY IN HUNT FOR ANSU FATI

Mundo Deportivo reports that Bayern Munich are at the head of a queue of seven European clubs interested in making a move for Fati at the end of the season.

It is also mentioned that four of the seven potential suitors come from the big-spending Premier League, though only Arsenal and Tottenham are named.

The player only signed a new deal in 2021 that committed him to Barca until 2027, with a release clause of €1billion, but the continued absence of Fati in the starting XI even after Ousmane Dembele's latest injury is apparently a concern to the player's agent, Jorge Mendes.

ROUND-UP

– Barca, Atletico Madrid and Milan are all looking at a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the end of the campaign after Chelsea surprisingly left the striker out of their Champions League squad, according to the Mail.

– Chelsea are poised to join Manchester United in targeting Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen as the Blues look to solve their goalscoring problems, report the Mirror.

– Real Madrid turned down the chance to sign Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City before he went to Bayern on transfer deadline day, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– The Mail has pointed to Tottenham's good relations with Atletico as reason for their optimism about signing Jan Oblak and Yannick Carrasco at the end of the season.

– The Mirror reports that Manchester United will look to move on six players at the end of the season, including Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek.

Donny van de Beek will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury, though Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is adamant his long-term outlook is encouraging.

Van de Beek was hurt in a collision with Marcos Senesi – who appeared to slip – during United's 3-0 win over Bournemouth on January 3.

The midfielder's leg bent awkwardly at the knee under the weight of Senesi, and although Van de Beek was just about able to walk off the pitch, his reaction suggested it was a serious injury.

Ten Hag confirmed the severity of the damage done on Friday, with the Netherlands midfielder ruled out for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign.

But Ten Hag did try to offer some optimism, with Van de Beek set to return in time for pre-season after avoiding a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

"Yes, it is his knee. On the long-term, it is looking really good, he will be back for the start of pre-season. The rest of the season he is out," Ten Hag said.

"I think everyone was really…thoughts are with him, it is terrible when you are in a middle of a season and you get a bad tackle, bad injury, it is always really disappointing and thoughts, your feelings are with the player, you express that.

"Our group did that really well and we are now happy his knee on the long-term is good. Donny is also happy with that.

"But in the same moments, there are mixed feelings and disappointment he is out of this season.

"The players are feeling we are building something good and we want to be part of it and that is what I feel in this club and this moment, everyone wants to be part of it. Because of his bad injury, he is now out, so there are two sides of it.

"But the good news is on the long-term he will be back and his knee will be stable."

Antony has returned to Manchester United training after missing Tuesday's Premier League win over Bournemouth.

The winger was absent for Erik ten Hag's side at Old Trafford, with the manager simply stating he was injured.

But ahead of Friday's FA Cup clash with Everton, the club revealed Antony had been training on Wednesday, putting concerns to rest over any lingering problems.

Antony netted in his first three Premier League games for the Red Devils following his arrival at the start of the campaign, although he has not scored again since then.

The Brazil international's most recent goal came against Everton, and he will hope to be involved against the Toffees this week.

However, it appears former Everton loanee Donny van de Beek is set for a spell on the sidelines.

In just his second league start of the season, the midfielder was on the receiving end of a brutal challenge from Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi.

Ten Hag was unable to disclose the extent of the issue in his post-match comments, acknowledging: "We need to wait 24 hours. But it is not looking very good."

Erik ten Hag acknowledges Donny van de Beek must improve in order to be a success at Manchester United, but is refusing to give up on the midfielder.

Having impressed in an advanced role for Ten Hag's Ajax team, Van de Beek moved to Old Trafford for an initial fee of £35million in 2020, but has since struggled for consistent game-time.

Van de Beek made 27 Premier League appearances across his first two campaigns with United, and has only played 19 minutes in the competition this season after enduring an equally frustrating loan spell at Everton earlier in 2022.

Those struggles have seen Van de Beek lose his place in the Netherlands' squad ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, but Ten Hag – who started the midfielder in Thursday's Europa League win at Real Sociedad – believes the 25-year-old can change his fortunes. 

Asked on Thursday whether there would be a point at which United accepted Van de Beek's move had not worked out, Ten Hag replied: "Yes. Not now. 

"I think he had quite a good pre-season. He was injured, now he's back. Last week [against Sheriff in the Europa League] I think he played very well, and today I think it was a decent performance.

"I know he can do better as I know him very well. He acted and delivered what I expect in terms of positioning, pressing, transition and accuracy. 

"I think he can be more of a threat to the opponents' goal, that's his biggest quality. In the time I am here, he is performing well in the game-time we gave him."

Big-spending French club Nice have struggled to start the new Ligue 1 season, with only eight points from eight games.

Ambitious Nice are sitting 13th in the table, leading to pressure on head coach Lucien Favre.

The Ligue 1 outfit finished fifth last term and have recently signed Aaron Ramsey, Ross Barkley, Alexis Beka Beka and Kasper Schmeichel.

TOP STORY – NICE KEEN ON PARKER WITH POCHETTINO NOT INTERESTED

Nice are interested in a surprise move for ex-Fulham and Bournemouth boss Scott Parker, claims Foot Mercato.

Favre is under pressure, with ex-Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino reportedly their first choice to replace him.

The Evening Standard claims Pochettino is not interested in the Nice role and instead will wait for a head coaching position with a top club in England, Spain or Italy. 

ROUND-UP

– 90min reports Manchester United will offer fresh deals to Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot. The pair's contracts are both due to expire in mid-2023, albeit with the option of one-year extensions, but United want to lock them down beyond that.

– Erik ten Hag will decide on Donny van de Beek's future at United in October, according to the Manchester Evening News. The Dutchman has only managed three appearances this term.

– Fabrizio Romano reports Tottenham target Kim Min-Jae has a release clause in his Napoli contract after joining the Italian club from Fenerbahce in July, but it cannot be triggered in January. Napoli are happy with the centre-back's impact and are not interested in letting him go.

– Chelsea target Anthony Gordon is in the midst of contract talks with Everton that are "progressing well", claims inews. Gordon is set for a substantial pay rise.

– Leicester City are set to offer manager Brendan Rodgers more time to turn around the side's poor start to the new season, although the reception of fans towards him at their next home game will be a factor for key decision makers, reports The Athletic.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag remains keen to bolster his squad before the end of the transfer window.

The Dutchman, who took over at Old Trafford this off-season, wants to improve his front-line options, along with his midfield with Fabian Ruiz and Frenkie de Jong linked.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial along with Cristiano Ronaldo will likely lead the line for United this campaign.

TOP STORY – UNITED IN SURPRISE BID FOR BAYERN'S SANE

The Mirror reports that Manchester United have made a shock move to sign Bayern Munich's former Manchester City forward Leroy Sane.

United have made an enquiry with the Bundesliga champions about the 26-year-old Germany international's availability.

Sane's role at Bayern has been jeopardized by Sadio Mane's arrival, clouding his future, with Liverpool also interested in him according to the Liverpool Echo.

ROUND-UP

–  Manchester United may use Donny van de Beek in a swap deal in their pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, claims the Express. Goal reports that the Red Devils are also considering Napoli's Fabian Ruiz as an alternative if they fail to win De Jong's signature.

– United are set to miss out on target Benjamin Sesko who has decided to stay with Austrian champions Salzburg, according to Sky Sport Austria. Chelsea and RB Leipzig were also keen on the 19-year-old Slovenian.

– Real Madrid are plotting a move for Bayer Leverkusen's teenage Spanish forward Iker Bravo, according to Marca. Atletico Madrid are also interested in the 17-year-old who made his Bundesliga debut last year.

– The Sun claims that West are in for free agent Dan-Axel Zagadou amid interest from Roma. French defender Zagadou left Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season.

– Free agent Edinson Cavani will join Argentine giants Boca Juniors claims Fabrizio Romano. The Uruguayan left Manchester United in the off season and has been linked with Villarreal among other clubs.

Danny van de Beek defended Manchester United captain Harry Maguire after he was booed during a friendly against Crystal Palace, praising the England defender's "aggressive" display.

Maguire was loudly jeered before kick-off and each time he touched the ball throughout the first half at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a crowd of 76,499 otherwise raucously backed the Red Devils.

The club skipper came in for strong criticism as United limped to sixth in the Premier League last term, conceding more league goals (57) than they had done in a single season since 1978-79 (63).

Maguire was left out of the United side after receiving a bomb threat in April, and was booed by England fans prior to a friendly against Ivory Coast in March.

The defender reacted well to the jeers in Australia, producing a strong defensive display and going close to scoring with a powerful 20-yard drive in the first half, leaving team-mate Van de Beek keen to highlight his impressive performance. 

"I heard [the boos] as well," the midfielder told Sky Sports after the win.

"I didn't know really what happened. But I think if I saw the game today, Harry was playing really well. 

"He was aggressive, he got so many balls, so that means he has a big personality.

"He has a lot of experience, so I think that's positive what he [showed], his performance today."

Goals from Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho ensured United maintained their 100 per cent winning record in their first pre-season under Erik ten Hag despite youngster Will Fish's late red card, with Van de Beek providing a sumptuous assist for Rashford's strike.

United's next pre-season outing sees them face Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday.

After months of speculation, Manchester United have confirmed Erik ten Hag will take over as the club's new manager at the end of another frustrating season at Old Trafford.

The 52-year-old will have a huge job on his hands when he arrives this summer, with the Red Devils looking unlikely to qualify for the Champions League after struggling under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick this term.

High up on Ten Hag's to-do list will be deciding who amongst the current squad will be suited to playing his high-pressing, possession-based style of football.

Here, Stats Perform uses Opta-powered data to give an insight into three players who could impress under the Dutchman, and three who may find their days numbered after his arrival…

Who might star under Ten Hag?

Donny Van de Beek

An easy choice. Van de Beek emerged as a star under Ten Hag's tutelage at Ajax, and was a driving force being the Amsterdam giants' terrific run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19. Installed as a creative midfielder alongside Frenkie de Jong, Van de Beek scored three goals and provided two assists during that famous run, with only Dusan Tadic (six) outscoring him for Ajax in the competition.

Having played a paltry 381 minutes for United across 14 appearances this season before being sent on loan to Everton in January, the 25-year-old looks the most obvious player to benefit from the arrival of his former coach

Jadon Sancho

Another player likely to thrive under Ten Hag is England winger Jadon Sancho, who has registered five goals and three assists in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils since moving from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

Only Bruno Fernandes (98) has created more open-play chances for United this term than Sancho (47), and he definitely stands to benefit from the arrival of a coach whose teams play with genuine width.

Each of Tadic (15), Antony (12), and Steven Berghuis (11) have reached double figures for Eredivisie goals for Ajax this term, so their former coach could be the man to get the best of the England man.

Luke Shaw

Ten Hag's Ajax team deployed their full-backs as a key attacking threat, with Argentine left-back Nicolas Tagliafico netting three goals during 2018-19's Champions League run.

Amongst Premier League defenders, only Trent Alexander-Arnold created more than the 72 chances crafted by Red Devils left-back Shaw during the 2020-21 season, and the England man could rediscover that form if unleashed by United's new boss.

Who might see their position threatened?

Harry Maguire 

The United skipper has faced much criticism for his role in another poor campaign for the Red Devils, and could be the first big-name casualty of Ten Hag's attempts to install a more progressive style of play.

No United defender has made as many errors leading to shots as Maguire in the Premier League this term (three), while his passing accuracy of 86.37 per cent is marginally lower than those of fellow defenders Raphael Varane (87.47) and Victor Lindelof (86.63), potentially marking out the England man as ripe for a replacement.

David De Gea

When another possession-hungry coach arrived in Manchester back in 2016, one of his first moves involved finding a goalkeeper he could trust to participate as his team tried to build from the back.

That man, of course, was Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, and Ten Hag could look to replicate his acquisition of Ederson by replacing De Gea. The Spaniard has recorded a pass accuracy of just 68.81 per cent in the Premier League this season, way short of elite rivals Ederson (88.35) and Allison (85.22).

Cristiano Ronaldo

Hear us out on this one. The legendary striker's goalscoring prowess remains unrivalled, and his 21 goals in all competitions since returning to Old Trafford last summer put him a long way clear of his nearest team-mate (Bruno Fernandes with nine).

However, the height of Ten Hag's success at Ajax came with Tadic used as a false nine in 2018-19, recording 10 goal involvements (six goals, four assists) during their thrilling European run. 

Besides, with Ronaldo's 140 strikes placing him at the top of the Champions League's all-time top goalscoring charts, can the 37-year-old really be expected to forgo playing in European football's premier competition if United fail to qualify? If not, a potentially tough decision regarding his future could be taken out of Ten Hag's hands.

After months of speculation, Manchester United have confirmed Erik ten Hag will take over as the club's new manager at the end of another frustrating season at Old Trafford.

The 52-year-old will have a huge job on his hands when he arrives this summer, with the Red Devils looking unlikely to qualify for the Champions League after struggling under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick this term.

High up on Ten Hag's to-do list will be deciding who amongst the current squad will be suited to playing his high-pressing, possession-based style of football.

Here, Stats Perform uses Opta-powered data to give an insight into three players who could impress under the Dutchman, and three who may find their days numbered after his arrival…

Who might star under Ten Hag?

Donny Van de Beek

An easy choice. Van de Beek emerged as a star under Ten Hag's tutelage at Ajax, and was a driving force being the Amsterdam giants' terrific run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19. Installed as a creative midfielder alongside Frenkie de Jong, Van de Beek scored three goals and provided two assists during that famous run, with only Dusan Tadic (six) outscoring him for Ajax in the competition.

Having played a paltry 381 minutes for United across 14 appearances this season before being sent on loan to Everton in January, the 25-year-old looks the most obvious player to benefit from the arrival of his former coach

Jadon Sancho

Another player likely to thrive under Ten Hag is England winger Jadon Sancho, who has registered five goals and three assists in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils since moving from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

Only Bruno Fernandes (98) has created more open-play chances for United this term than Sancho (47), and he definitely stands to benefit from the arrival of a coach whose teams play with genuine width.

Each of Tadic (15), Antony (12), and Steven Berghuis (11) have reached double figures for Eredivisie goals for Ajax this term, so their former coach could be the man to get the best of the England man.

Luke Shaw

Ten Hag's Ajax team deployed their full-backs as a key attacking threat, with Argentine left-back Nicolas Tagliafico netting three goals during 2018-19's Champions League run.

Amongst Premier League defenders, only Trent Alexander-Arnold created more than the 72 chances crafted by Red Devils left-back Shaw during the 2020-21 season, and the England man could rediscover that form if unleashed by United's new boss.

Who might see their position threatened?

Harry Maguire 

The United skipper has faced much criticism for his role in another poor campaign for the Red Devils, and could be the first big-name casualty of Ten Hag's attempts to install a more progressive style of play.

No United defender has made as many errors leading to shots as Maguire in the Premier League this term (three), while his passing accuracy of 86.37 per cent is marginally lower than those of fellow defenders Raphael Varane (87.47) and Victor Lindelof (86.63), potentially marking out the England man as ripe for a replacement.

David De Gea

When another possession-hungry coach arrived in Manchester back in 2016, one of his first moves involved finding a goalkeeper he could trust to participate as his team tried to build from the back.

That man, of course, was Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, and Ten Hag could look to replicate his acquisition of Ederson by replacing De Gea. The Spaniard has recorded a pass accuracy of just 68.81 per cent in the Premier League this season, way short of elite rivals Ederson (88.35) and Allison (85.22).

Cristiano Ronaldo

Hear us out on this one. The legendary striker's goalscoring prowess remains unrivalled, and his 21 goals in all competitions since returning to Old Trafford last summer put him a long way clear of his nearest team-mate (Bruno Fernandes with nine).

However, the height of Ten Hag's success at Ajax came with Tadic used as a false nine in 2018-19, recording 10 goal involvements (six goals, four assists) during their thrilling European run. 

Besides, with Ronaldo's 140 strikes placing him at the top of the Champions League's all-time top goalscoring charts, can the 37-year-old really be expected to forgo playing in European football's premier competition if United fail to qualify? If not, a potentially tough decision regarding his future could be taken out of Ten Hag's hands.