Manchester United’s board of directors reportedly rejected Erik ten Hag’s plans to sign Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech this summer.
Ten Hag worked with the 29-year-old at Ajax between 2017 and 2020, winning an Eredivisie title and reaching the Champions League semi-finals together, and the Dutchman was eager to reunite with the Moroccan at Old Trafford.
Ziyech was the subject of much speculation in the closing months of the transfer window, with Tottenham Hotspur allegedly expressing interest in the playmaker on deadline day.
AC Milan and former club Ajax were also linked with Ziyech, but he will now stay at Stamford Bridge.
United were willing to back Ten Hag in the summer transfer market, according to the Manchester Evening News, but the club’s hierarchy prevented him from signing Ziyech.
According to the report, the Red Devils’ board of directors vetoed an approach for the playmaker because they only saw him as a backup option.
Ten Hag, on the other hand, had a ‘near-fully supportive first window’ in charge, with United spending more than £200 million on six new signings.
