BREAKING: It’s possible that Erik ten Hag may have to rely on two players for Manchester United that he had hoped to trade away.

The Dutch manager put both Harry Maguire and Anthony Martial up for sale this summer.

Manchester United could have used the proceeds from the sales of Harry Maguire and Anthony Martial to help support their current recruiting push if only they had done so this summer. The team has had a rough start to the season and may have to rely on two players who were not initially desired.

Maguire and Martial’s exits seemed inevitable for a while last season. This summer, Bruno Fernandes replaced Harry Maguire as captain, and Anthony Martial watched helplessly as his manager spent £73 million on a new forward.

This summer, both players were made available for sale, although Maguire ultimately decided against joining West Ham after the club received a £30 million bid for the defender. There appeared to be no takers for Martial’s signature.

Erik ten Hag isn’t trying to imply that the ex-AS Monaco attacker isn’t well regarded. To the contrary, the Dutchman has struggled because, like his predecessors at United, he cannot count on the fragile Martial for availability and, when he does play, consistency.