Man Utd board 'vetoed' Erik ten Hag's plan to sign Chelsea ace despite £214m backing

Manchester United chiefs are said to have blocked Erik ten Hag's plan to bring in an out-of-favour Chelsea forward during his £214million summer spending spree

Posted Sunday, September 04, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Hakim Ziyech is in and out of the team at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United playing squad may have been boosted by over £200million worth of new talent during the summer transfer window - but a reunion with Hakim Ziyech was blocked.

Ten Hag worked with Ziyech for three years at Ajax before the Morocco international's £30m move to Chelsea where he has since picked up a Champions League winners medal under Thomas Tuchel.

Details have now emerged of Ten Hag's plan to reunite with Ziyech at Old Trafford - and how it was stopped by United bosses with just days remaining in the window.

Manchester Evening News report that the United board vetoed Ten Hag's interest in Ziyech after he was considered as a back-up option before their move to Antony.

Ziyech has made two appearances across Chelsea's five opening Premier League fixtures of the season having played 44 times in all competitions last campaign - scoring eight goals.

Earlier in the year Ziyech said that he had begun to adapt to Tuchel's five-defender system having joined the club as a winger.

He said: "[The system] affects me, of course.

"Everybody knows that, if I play wide, it's my best position. When we play four at the back, most of the time I play on the right [wing].

"When we play a back five, we play a different system. I think during the time since [Tuchel] came, I've adapted well."

Ten Hag can't have been too disappointed with the overall business, bringing in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Antony and Tom Huddlestone.

He said: "I think we’ve strengthened the squad, clear. As a manager you want always more. What I demand from my players, I have to show it myself as well.

"You want to always maximise. But at a certain point you have also to be satisfied with what is there and it’s also then about development."