Speaking in July following the signing of Lisandro Martinez, Erik ten Hag suggested he would like to target English players however admitted he had been put off by the prices.
An ‘English tax’ is often said to apply to home-based stars with many feeling players from England go for bigger money in comparison to those from other nations of similar ability as a result of their nationality:
“I would like to sign English players because I think there is only one criteria and that’s quality in combination with the price,” Ten Hag explained at the time. “It looks like English players are quite expensive. It’s a fact you cannot deny. In the end, it’s about quality.”
And now, Ten Hag’s wish could come true. The Guardian reports that Harry Kane and Mason Mount are two of Ten Hag’s top targets as he seeks to challenge for the Premier League title next season.
Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters has also been touted as an option for Manchester United heading into the summer.
This would allow Ten Hag, along with Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw, to have a largely English XI heading into the 2023/24 campaign.
