Erik ten Hag previous boy who fired dig at Man Utd is choice to exchange Casemiro

On Sep 12, 2024

Former Ajax midfielder Davy Klassen has been earmarked by Manchester United as a possible replacement for the struggling Casemiro.

United have had a poor start to the season and pressure continues to mount on manager Erik ten Hag, who was lucky to keep his job at the end of last season. The Red Devils’ shock FA Cup win saved the Dutchman’s skin and although the club seemed to have recruited well in the summer, not much has changed.

One issue that has still plagued United early on in the campaign is the defensive midfield position. As a 32-year-old veteran, Casemiro was a mainstay last year but came under a lot of criticism and was recently hooked at half-time for youngster Toby Collyer in United’s 3-0 mauling by Liverpool.

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There looks to be no way back and there’s constant speculation about who United might be targeting to replace the Brazilian. Ten Hag might have sealed the deadline-day signing of Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte, but with the departure of Scott McTominay, there’s still room for another man.

One player who has been mentioned is Everton flop Davy Klassen. The Netherlands international is currently a free agent after being released by his latest club Inter Milan back in July. He fits the bill when it comes to United’s recent unofficial recruitment strategy of being Dutch and having previously worked with Ten Hag.

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Klassen featured under the now-United boss during his second stint in Amsterdam – after a disastrous year on Merseyside when the £23m misfit made just seven appearances for Everton, before relaunching his career in Germany with Werder Bremen. He played a key part in Ajax’s Eredivisie winning seasons in 2021 and 2022 and has a close bond with Ten Hag, having infamously criticised United when the boss left the Dutch giants.

The Red Devils announced the appointment of Ten Hag before his final season at Ajax had come to an end and Klassen couldn’t understand at the time why he would choose to leave, saying: “He has been doing well with us for years and Manchester United has been doing badly for years,” in an interview with Dutch outlet VoetbalPrimeur.

The 31-year-old’s time at Inter Milan last season didn’t go to plan as he made just 18 appearances – which raises question marks over whether he is good enough to be part of United’s squad.