Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that he tried repeatedly to sign Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane, and Declan Rice during his tenure at Old Trafford. Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, the Dutch manager detailed the missed recruitment targets that marked his time in charge, suggesting that additional backing from club leadership might have altered his fortunes.
Ten Hag took charge of Manchester United in June 2022 following a successful spell at Ajax and remained at the club until October 2024. During his tenure, the Haaksbergen-born manager won two trophies—the FA Cup and the EFL Cup—though the team made little impact in the Premier League.
Ten Hag Failed to Sign De Jong and Kane
Among his primary targets was midfielder Frenkie de Jong, whom Ten Hag attempted to bring in through numerous discussions. I arranged many meetings with him and tried to persuade him, but it did not work,
Ten Hag explained, adding that the player really didn’t want to
make the move.
Harry Kane was listed as the top priority on the manager’s wishlist. According to Ten Hag, I said: ‘You know who I want. I only want one player.’ I understood he was quite open to it too. I have no idea why the transfer did not happen.
Kane eventually moved to Bayern Munich instead.
West Ham Blocked the Pursuit of Declan Rice
Declan Rice was another player high on the manager’s evaluation list, though that potential deal also fell through. Regarding the pursuit of Rice, Ten Hag stated, West Ham United did not want to let him go for the right fee, but I felt we did not do everything we could.
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