Erik ten Hag ‘convinced’ Manchester United will have a better squad by the end of the transfer window

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will have a better squad by the end of the transfer window.

United are keen to recruit a new midfielder before the transfer window closes on September 1 and have had a bid in the region of £15m-£20m reportedly accepted for Adrien Rabiot by Juventus, but are still negotiating personal terms with the France international’s agent and mother, Veronique.

United have a long-held interest in signing Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but withdrew from making another bid for Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic.

The Premier League club have also seen their pursuits of Benjamin Sesko and Timo Werner fail after both players signed for RB Leipzig.

Ten Hag, however, is confident that United will be able to add to the three signings they have made in this transfer window and that his squad will be better for it.

“We have to. I am convinced we will have,” the Dutchman told reporters ahead of United’s second Premier League game of the season against Brentford on Saturday evening.

When asked if he was on the “same page” as the board when it came to signing players, Ten Hag replied: “Yes. I’m happy.

“I think we’re cooperating really well. I cannot tell about any individuals, I cannot talk about players under contract at other clubs.”

Ten Hag added that Cristiano Ronaldo is in contention to start against Brentford, while Anthony Martial is still out with a hamstring injury picked up in a friendly defeat to Atletico Madrid in Oslo two weeks ago.

“He had a good training week,” Ten Hag said of the Portugal international. “I thought he played a little bit longer than half an hour, he’s had two half games and for the starting XI we will see tomorrow. My decision (on whether he starts), I keep it.

“Martial will not be available and Victor Lindelof as well, not for this weekend.”