Erik ten Hag repeating transfer trick to give Manchester United edge after private talks

Joshua Zirkzee could become the latest player Erik ten Hag convinces to join Manchester United after they reportedly spoke last month.

Ten Hag has a handy habit of calling transfer targets during his two years at Old Trafford, with at least four players speaking with the manager before signing. Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia acknowledged that in interviews after arriving.

It was the other way around with Lisandro Martinez, as Ten Hag revealed his former player called him after deciding to leave Ajax. Then, last summer, the Manchester Evening News reported the manager held multiple video calls with Rasmus Hojlund.

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Ten Hag acknowledged before last year's transfer window opened that he had been speaking with potential targets. That is reportedly the case again despite a raft of changes at United this year.

Sky Italia reported that the manager spoke to Zirkzee during the final week of June. More recently, Sky Sport claimed that Ten Hag held a personal meeting with the player's management at Sport Invest and acknowledged that the manager and player have had direct chats.

Both are Dutch, with the forward coming through the academies at ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord while Ten Hag was the Utrecht head coach. From there, Zirkzee joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017, where, two years earlier, Ten Hag was the coach of their reserve team. While their time in Germany did not overlap, it is fair to assume that the manager kept tabs on his former employers after returning to the Netherlands.

United not needing to negotiate a transfer fee with Bologna due to the £34million release clause in Zirkzee's contract with the club means it makes sense for Ten Hag to take this direct approach with his countryman as personal terms are with the player's representative are the pivotal aspect in need of agreeing.