Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly interested in acquiring Real Madrid left back Ferland Mendy.

According to the Manchester Evening News and the Spanish journal Defensa Central, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has his sights set on Real Madrid player Ferland Mendy.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea, their rivals in the Premier League, are interested in acquiring the 27-year-old player who now plays for Los Blancos. However, in the summer of 2022, the Blues made the decision to recruit Marc Cucurella in order to give Ben Chilwell some competition.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star’s transition to life in West London has not been without its challenges. On the other hand, the English left-back for the Stamford Bridge club has struggled mightily with injuries during the course of his career with the Blues.

As for United, during the most recent transfer window, we were able to get Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord. The first team at Old Trafford was impressed with the 23-year-old player shortly after he made his debut there.

This season, Erik ten Hag chose to play the Holland international over Luke Shaw for a significant portion of the season. However, the England international has regained his position in the Red Devils’ starting lineup during the course of the team’s most recent matches.

The former star of Southampton was also essential to the performance of the English national team at the 2022 World Cup. Every game that Gareth Southgate’s team played, he was given the starting position. Unfortunately for England, they were eliminated by France in the quarterfinals.

After spending the previous season at Olympique Lyon, Mendy made the move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019. The France international had initially made a favorable impression on the Santiago Bernabeu side. On the other hand, it would appear that Los Blancos no longer had a use for him.

Carlo Ancelotti’s first option at left back for this season is the 27-year-old player who is currently in his second season with the club. This season, he has played 17 times for the team that won the Spanish championship in all competitions. Didier Deschamps’ 2022 World Cup team did not include the defender, hence Didier Deschamps did not select him.

Manchester United’s latest financial figures and shareholders’ wrath

Manchester United’s latest financial numbers, announced on Thursday, provided another glimpse into the club’s operations, but don’t expect potential buyers to scrutinize them.

United’s first-quarter results showed that they generate revenue but not profits. They owe about £250million in transfer fees, have low cash reserves, and enormous debt.

With the Glazers effectively placing the club on the market little over three weeks ago, sports finance expert Kieran Maguire believes serious bidders considering a takeover at Old Trafford won’t be astonished.

The family is open to selling or investing in the club, but the financial reports showed that much of a record-breaking summer transfer splurge involved instalment payments. That’s normal in sport, but United has several transfer debts.

“I think anybody that’s serious and has already spoken to the Raine Group will have done their homework, they would have picked up that the club is spending money but it’s spending somebody else’s money, in the sense the investment on players is effectively on credit deals,” said Maguire, author of the Price of Football.

“What surprised me was that United owe so much on outstanding transfers, therefore they spent a lot of money in installments. They worried after Brentford and Brighton losses.

I think the numbers were about right. Manchester United generates lots of cash and keeps costs under control thanks to contract reductions after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

The latest financial results were headlined by the decision not to pay shareholders dividends in 2023, the first time since 2016.

Fans liked that decision, but United’s smaller stockholders didn’t.

The Glazers’ choice to not pay dividends is political, I suppose. “They know social media will be full of criticism when it comes out,” added Maguire.

“The non-payment I think is the Glazers attempting to show ‘we’re not the bad people in this, we’re prepared to take a hit as well’, but that offended shareholders who are not the Glazers who are expecting this money on a regular basis since 2016.

The Glazers are doomed any way. Fans and minority shareholders get upset when dividends are given or not paid.

The reduction in United’s cash balances from £121million in June to £24million in September aroused concerns, but Maguire says that is less alarming and can frequently be due to technical issues like Premier League broadcasting agreement instalments, with cash levels often being “volatile” during the year.

United had a £26.5million net deficit in the three months ending in September, but potential purchasers will consider other factors.

Sports rights are like buying a Mona Lisa or Picasso. A global brand, it’s distinctive. Maguire predicted a price increase. “