Erik ten Hag disclosed that Manchester United couldn’t secure a striker during the January transfer window because of Financial Fair Play regulations.
United have heavily depended on Rasmus Hojlund this season, but their £72 million summer acquisition from Atalanta will be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks due to a muscle injury.
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With Anthony Martial also out injured, Ten Hag is likely to grant 19-year-old academy forward Omari Forson his inaugural Premier League start for their upcoming match against Fulham at home on Saturday.
Ten Hag asserts that he advocated for United to bolster their squad with a new striker in January, but contends that financial constraints ultimately thwarted the feasibility of such a deal.
‘First of all, striker options are the most difficult to fill, especially at our level,’ Ten Hag said.
‘We had two strikers. I get it about Anthony Martial, but he has done for us last season great things.
‘So he’s also on a high payment, in this club. So when you bring another one in, you strike him out. So there are all arguments not to do it. Then we have Marcus Rashford, who can also play very good in the front position. So we have actually three strikers in our squad.
‘Then when I got the news about Anthony Martial at the start of January, I really tried to get another striker in. But because we are vulnerable there, FFP was the thing, we couldn’t do it.
‘We worked out other options how to fill this in and how to deal in the moment Rasmus Hojlund wouldn’t be available. We have options in our squad.’
Ten Hag further justified the choice to retain Martial last summer, despite uncertainties surrounding his physical condition.
‘Yeah, but I see the performances from last year. We played last year our best football with Anthony Martial as a striker,’ Ten Hag said.
When it was suggested that Martial made less than 30 appearances in all competitions last campaign, Ten Hag replied: ‘I think you can’t ignore the facts and, I knew that as well.
‘But you do everything to get him fit, to keep him fit. When we have given him the opportunities he contributes. For instance, he played a good game against Everton.
‘But yeah it’s too less good performances to contribute to our squad. And, we should have expected more. That is the truth.
‘But to bring in another striker, that means you rule him totally out in the start of the season. So I don’t think that’s the right decision.’
