'The FOUR star players Ten hag instructed to sign' only for the club to fail

Prior to his sacking, Erik ten Hag was reportedly frustrated that Man United chiefs failed to sign four star players for the side.

The Dutchman was sacked by Red Devils boss on Monday, finally bringing an end to his two-and-a-half year spell in charge that had been punctuated in its latter months by the near-constant threat of his dismissal.

His position looked untenable ahead of the FA Cup final in May following a disappointing league campaign that saw them finish eighth in the Premier League.

But their shock 2-1 win over Manchester City spared the former Ajax manager for a few more months. Ten Hag safety was only confirmed after Ineos conducted an end-of-season review, which included club chiefs speaking to prospective candidates.

It's now emerged, prior to Ten Hag's departure, that the Dutchman did voice his frustration with United being unable to sign any of his transfer targets.

According to ESPN, Ten Hag was frustrated that the club failed to sign Frenkie de Jong, Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Valverde and Harry Kane.

The report further claims that United's chiefs found his demands to be 'unrealistic'.

Ever since Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford, rumours over a potential move for Barcelona star De Jong had been rife but the transfer never materialised.

Meanwhile, United's interest in Harry Kane was well known but, instead, they opted to sign Rasmus Hojlund while the England captain joined Bayern Munich.

In April last year, rumours suggested that United were keen on signing at-the-time Brighton star Mac Allister but, instead, the midfielder moved to Liverpool.

Whereas Valverde has remained firmly at Madrid likely due to his high wage and the immense transfer fee it would take to pry him away from the Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag reportedly considered quitting United in the summer amid criticism of his performance and speculation the club were in talks with managers.

According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, reports of those meetings, as well as heavy criticism of his performance as United boss made the 54-year-old consider resigning.

They report that Ten Hag only decided to stay during a lengthy summit in Ibiza, where he had jetted off on holiday.

Ten Hag agreed a one-year contract extension with the club following the clear-the-air talks in the summer. That deal would have seen him remain at the helm until 2026.

Ten Hag lifted the lid on his discussions with United and revealed the club had turned up on his doorstep to confirm they wished for him to remain.