Erik ten Hag admits reduced role in Manchester United recruitment process 

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted a significant reduction in his involvement in the club’s recruitment process.

This follows the recent structural changes at Old Trafford.

The shifts come in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchasing a minority stake in the club in February.

With the arrival of Dan Ashworth as sporting director, Jason Wilcox as technical director, and Christopher Vivell as interim director of recruitment, ten Hag’s influence on transfers has reportedly diminished.

“A lot has been taken away from me in scouting and recruitment. That is necessary,” ten Hag told Dutch outlet AD via The Express.

“You need a very strong structure in scouting and transfer policy. I can only be happy that I have Dan, Jason, and Christopher at my side.

“The club has acquired incredible know-how and knowledge of the market that helps me.

“We have only been working with these new people for a few weeks but Ashworth is close by – a room away.

“The new owners take me more into the process. It’s early days but the signs are very good,” he added.

Manchester United, who finished eighth in the Premier League last season despite winning the FA Cup, are actively bolstering their squad.

Of recent, the club signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36 million and Leny Yoro from Lille for £52 million.

With interest in Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich, United could see further additions.

In a pre-season friendly on Saturday, United picked a 2-0 win over Rangers, with another upcoming match against Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in the United States on Sunday.