Ten Hag ‘tells Man Utd he is frustrated by failure to sign Gakpo’ as it’s revealed why club didn’t challenge Liverpool
MANCHESTER UNITED boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly “frustrated” that the club missed out on signing Cody Gakpo.
The Dutch winger is set to join Liverpool in January for £44million after the Reds swooped in and agreed on a deal with PSV.
The Red Devils are on the lookout for a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gakpo was believed to be top of their list.
However, once Liverpool made their move United were unable to compete as they could not match the Anfield side’s financial package, according to ESPN.
PSV had to sell Gakpo for as much as they could as they needed to make sure they would be able to cover their costs due to an increased wage bill.
Therefore they did not launch an official bid for Gakpo and the report has suggested that the Dutch manager was left frustrated by this, but is still hopeful of finding a solution.
The Old Trafford side spent big in the summer with the high-profile signings of Antony, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia all costing large transfer fees.
United have also been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.
Although a move for the Portuguese forward will prove costly as the La Liga club are demanding an £8m loan fee for him.
Ten Hag remains defiant as he admitted that United are “always in the market” for players.
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After beating Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, he said: “I think we are always in the market but it has to match the sporting criteria and also the financial criteria.”
The Red Devils have also been linked with Alvaro Morata and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.
Former player Lee Sharpe has also suggested that Tottenham’s Harry Kane should be the top target.