Ten Hag: As Far as I Know, Sancho Will Stay at Manchester United; Pursuit of Ugarte Due to Shortage of Defensive Midfielders

On August 30, in the third round of the Premier League, Manchester United will face Liverpool at home. Ahead of this clash, Manchester United’s manager Ten Hag addressed topics of concern during his pre-match press conference.

Regarding McTominay joining Napoli, Ten Hag said, “I am happy for him, but in reality, I did not want to lose him. He has been here for a long 22 years, a player from Manchester United’s youth academy, and he is a valuable asset to us. However, this is indeed a good deal for all parties involved. Whether it is for us or for Napoli, he is a great player.”

When talking about Sancho’s future, Ten Hag stated, “As far as I know, after tonight, he will still be a Manchester United player. He is an important player for our team, and I am very satisfied with him. We need to strengthen our squad depth, considering we have many games to play before January, and according to the new Europa League format, we might face a game every three days.”

Regarding why Manchester United are eager to sign Ugarte, Ten Hag explained, “We have three number ten players, but in contrast, defensive midfielders are scarce, with only one available. I hope to sign Ugarte, but I cannot give you a definite answer yet.”

Regarding when Hojlund will return, Ten Hag said, “He will return after the international break. As for the exact time, we will observe the situation during the break and wait until he is ready for the game.”

Backing Rashford, Ten Hag said, “In the preseason and the first two league matches against Fulham and Everton, I was satisfied with Rashford’s performance. I believe that Shearer’s criticism of him was foolish.”

Speaking about the upcoming clash with Liverpool, Ten Hag said, “I look forward to facing Liverpool. We are an excellent team, but there is still room for improvement, and our new signings need further integration.”