Erik Ten Hag Has Identified 'Vital Signing' To Solve Manchester United's Issues In Midfield

Erik ten Hag is said to be a 'huge' admirer of Ruben Neves and will make him one of his number one transfer targets if he gets the job at Manchester United, say reports.

The 52-year-old Ajax manager impressed United officials when he was interviewed for the role last week, according to The Times. They claim the club believe he would 'fit well into their structure' if he was appointed.

Ten Hag believes the United job is a five-year project, say The Independent, who suggest the first element he would correct at the Premier League club is physical conditioning.

It appears Ten Hag has some ambitious plans, but who will he bring in should he get the United job?

Last week, The Telegraph said Ten Hag would attempt to bring highly-rated Ajax winger Antony to Old Trafford after an impressive season with the Eredivisie side, where he has scored 12 goals in all competitions.

Now, reports have emerged that the Dutch manager will 'push' to bring Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves to the club.

Ten Hag has followed Neves' progress for a number of years. In fact, he watched his progress at FC Porto, where he became the youngest captain in Champions League history after being handed the armband in their clash against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

He believes the Portuguese international would help solve United's current issues in midfield, say The Sun, who suggest Ten Hag is 'pushing' for the move.

United have been linked with a move for Neves in the past.

During last summer's transfer window, Bruno Fernandes was said to be "very keen" for Neves to join the ranks at Old Trafford and United were aware of that, according to journalist Dean Jones, who was speaking to The Football Terrace.

Fernandes and Neves have played together with Portugal's national side on numerous occaisons, and were both in the squad for last summer's European Championship.

Back in December, Neves opened up about his ambitions to play in the Champions League again – a competition that United could miss out on after struggling in recent weeks.

In an interview with Portuguese publication Record, the 25-year-old admitted he misses it "a lot".

"I think any player that plays Champions League football and then spends a few years without competing in it will miss it," he added. "It's a nice tournament to be part of, of course I miss it. It's a tournament every player wants to play in.

"Being able to play in the Champions League and being able to compete against all the clubs is probably the main goal of every player, and for me it's no different.

"Fortunately I was able to compete in the Champions League for three years with FC Porto and we did a brilliant and remarkable campaign but I do miss stepping out on the pitch and hearing the tournament's anthem."