This summer, Erik ten Hag will face a formidable challenge at Manchester United, and there is no sugarcoating that fact.

The Red Devils' 3-1 loss to Arsenal on Saturday served as yet another clear reminder of how much work needs to be done at Old Trafford this summer, both in terms of the personnel inside the squad and the cultural transformation that the club requires in order to get back on track. A series of individual errors were the architects of United's current collapse, and it has reached the point where no one is astonished any longer.

When it came to defending in the build-up to Nuno Tavares' third-minute opening, Raphael Varane and Alex Telles were much too casual and uninspiring, illustrating why United have conceded nine goals in their previous three Premier League outings and have the worst defensive record of any team currently residing inside the top-eight of the Premier League standings. This season, they have conceded 51 goals in 34 games, which is a season high.

Arsenal's third goal was set up by Bruno Fernandes, who had previously squandered a penalty kick opportunity to bring Ralf Rangnick's side level. While Varane and Telles were both to blame for the first goal, it was Fernandes who was responsible for setting up Arsenal's third. A mistake by the Portugal international was exploited by Granit Xhaka, and the Swiss midfielder unleashed a powerful shot that left David de Gea with little chance of saving it.

With the help of intermediaries, Man Utd is trying to sign Ajax's winger to join Ten Hag.

Unai Emery's midfield woes were exposed once more, particularly on the defensive side of the game. After so many losses this season, it's tough to keep track of how many times they've been hampered by the absence of a world-class defensive midfielder.

After the defeat to Liverpool, Rangnick said it was not out of the question to expect ten new players this summer, which shows how big the rebuilding project is for Ten Hag. The defensive-midfield department is going to get the most attention and attention. United are in desperate need of a player to fill that position, whether they go all-in for a big-money deal or take the prudent and reasonable approach of signing an unknown quantity who is on the rise.

Whatever happens, James Garner needs to be given the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities. As a result of his outstanding performances in the Championship this season and Ten Hag's preference for developing young players, the England Under-21 international is expected to secure a spot in the Forest's plans for next season.

It's understandable that Garner is the subject of a lot of buzz and excitement, but it's hard to see him as a consistent starter for the foreseeable future. For the sake of argument, let us assume that he is a squad player who comes off the bench and starts the occasional cup games for the club.

The fact is that, whatever Ten Hag's plans for him are, he will provide an alternative option in an otherwise difficult situation for the Red Devils. As a teenager who has never been in and around the first-team group on a regular basis, he is more likely to buy into whatever Ten Hag expects of his players, which means United might benefit tremendously from his own, undeniable levels of potential.

In contrast to Garner, who might provide United with a new option in midfield, Brandon Williams could enter the race for the left-back position.. Both Luke Shaw and Telles have struggled for form and consistency this season, so Williams will be confident in his ability to compete for the left-back position, especially given his admission that he is "motivated" to return from his loan spell at Norwich City and claim the position for himself.

Williams, who has made 50 appearances for Manchester United, has performed admirably for Norwich through what has been a challenging season for the Canaries, demonstrating that he possesses the necessary skills to compete in the Premier League. Despite the fact that he is still young and the jury is yet out on whether or not he will be able to establish himself as a seasoned performer for a club of the Reds' caliber, he, like Garner, has the potential to be a significant team member in a difficult position.

Having ready-made choices, at the very least to create competition, might therefore allow United to save a significant amount of money in the transfer market if their summer recruitment push results in a double-digit increase, as Rangnick has said it may. A new vision is being implemented at Old Trafford, and there is no reason why the youth should not be able to contribute.