Sir Jim Ratcliffe risks Erik ten Hag transfer row as Man Utd boss makes feelings clear

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be at risk of upsetting Erik ten Hag if he sanctions an exit the Dutchman is unlikely to be happy with. The INEOS chief has overseen a productive summer window thus far, with Manchester United having spent over £88million on new players.

Joshua Zirkzee was the first new signing to come through the door in exchange for a transfer fee of around £35m. United followed up by signing Leny Yoro from Lille and have been linked with subsequent moves for Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

United have also raised more than £36m through the sales of Mason Greenwood, Willy Kambwala, Donny van de Beek and Alvaro Carreras. More players could be about to leave Old Trafford over the coming days, with Scott McTominay among those said to be edging closer to an exit.

Fulham have already seen two bids rejected for the midfielder, who is wanted by Cottagers boss Marco Silva to replace Joao Palhinha. According to the Manchester Evening News, a third offer has been submitted but it remains to be seen if a deal can be agreed.

McTominay is into the final year of his contract at United and it would make sense for him to be sold rather than leaving on a free transfer next summer. However, such a move could risk angering Ten Hag after he heaped praise on the 27-year-old following his impressive display against Real Betis.

Speaking after United’s entertaining 3-2 victory over their Spanish opponents on Thursday, Ten Hag said: “I am so pleased with the performance of Scott McTominay. I am so pleased to have him in my squad, the type of person, such a huge impact on the team, team performances, team spirit.

“And he is playing more in the advanced position that suits him better. He is so important to making goals in my team. I am very happy to have him in my squad.”

It will be important for Ratcliffe to weigh up the pros and cons of selling McTominay to Fulham before making a decision on whether to accept their latest offer. A transfer fee of around £23m has reportedly been tabled, which is a good amount of money for a player with less than a year remaining on his contract.

However, the last thing Ratcliffe will want to do is upset Ten Hag just hours after he made it clear that he wants to keep McTominay in his squad. Only time will tell how the situation plays out, with talks between United and Fulham still believed to be ongoing.