Board baulks at Erik’s plan to make bid for Ziyech
ERIK ten Hag is being met with resistance from the United hierarchy amid his interest in signing Hakim Ziyech from Chelsea.
The Reds boss coached the 29-year-old at Ajax and has identified the Moroccan as an alternative left-footed attacker to Antony, who has been priced out of a move by Ajax as he is valued at 80m euro.
Ziyech, who is under contract at Chelsea until 2025, was an unused substitute in their opening weekend win at Everton.
United have largely backed Ten Hag’s preference for targets familiar to him, but Ziyech has been deemed an exception. The club was happy to lodge an 8m euro bid for 33-year-old Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic last week.
In what is becoming an increasingly desperate transfer window, it can be revealed United made an 11th-hour attempt to sign Timo Werner from Chelsea before he rejoined RB Leipzig for £25m.
The 26-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge for £45m in 2020 and scored a paltry 23 goals in 89 games, but won the Champions League and Club World Cup.
United’s failure to sign Werner is further embarrassment in a week Benjamin Sesko sealed a move to Leipzig three weeks after his agent met the Reds’ football director John Murtough.
What is particularly galling for United is they have effectively ignored former interim manager and recruitment consultant Ralf Rangnick’s recommendations of RB Leipzig players Josko Gvardial, Konrad Laimer and Christopher Nkunku and pursued two players who have ended up moving to Leipzig.
The Reds withdrew from an attempt to sign Arnautovic after a fan backlash but are continuing negotiations with Adrien Rabiot, having agreed a fee of £15m rising to £20m for the Juventus midfielder.