Erik ten Hag Considering ‘Hijacking’ Man Utd Move to Replace Liverpool-Bound Florian Wirtz

New Bayer Leverkusen manager Erik ten Hag is set to haunt his former club Manchester United by hijacking one of their transfer targets, using funds expected from the sale of Florian Wirtz this summer. Liverpool are reportedly closing in on a record-breaking deal for the two-time Bundesliga Player of the Year, with a bid of £116 million that would set a new benchmark for both British and German transfers.

Replacing the 22-year-old will be Ten Hag’s top priority after he agreed to take over from Xabi Alonso, who joined Real Madrid earlier this month. According to reports from Sky Germany, Leverkusen are eyeing Manchester City academy graduate James McAtee – who has previously been linked with the Red Devils – as a potential reinforcement in midfield.

McAtee has shown flashes of brilliance in a City shirt but is still in the early stages of breaking into Pep Guardiola’s senior setup. With recent big-name signings, the 21-year-old could find himself slipping further down the pecking order, making a move to Leverkusen a tempting opportunity for more regular minutes.

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McAtee’s standout moment in his blossoming senior career so far was his hat-trick in the FA Cup against Salford, while he has also already racked up 34 appearances for Guardiola’s side in just four seasons. As such, selling to a Premier League rival – their fiercest, no less – would be a highly unpopular move.

As a result, it could open the door for the club’s former manager, Ten Hag, to swoop in, with City likely to favour selling him abroad if they did have to part with the player. Guardiola admits he wants to keep the 22-year-old, but would understand his desire to play regularly. He said in April, as per The Mirror:

Another factor at play is that McAtee’s contract expires in 2026 – leaving the City hierarchy to either hand him a new deal or cash in before he becomes a free agent. They will also want to avoid another Cole Palmer situation, whereby they sell a player to a rival, only for them to turn out to be world-class and fire them to silverware.

What’s more, Germany has been a fertile breeding ground for the young Englishman in recent years, with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham, and more recently, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens flourishing in the Bundesliga.