In just over two years as Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag was presented with 21 new players across five transfer windows in the hope of ushering in a new era of success.
But the Dutchman became the club’s latest managerial casualty following a poor start to the 2024/25 season, even though a strategic review during the summer had concluded he was the best option.
Ten Hag wasn’t ultimately responsible for recruitment during his time at Old Trafford, but it is understood he had significant input and several of those signed had previously played under him.
Some have been downright failures, plenty were only brought in for short-term bursts, others have shown promise, but it’s hard to justify any being inarguable outstanding successes.
Signed from: Ajax
Transfer fee: £82m + £4m
Appearances: 87
The Brazilian was reported to have been identified as a £25m player when he was scouted during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, but there was still excitement about his arrival from Ajax given his age and potential.
Three goals in his first three Premier League appearances was the perfect start, but Antony has spent two years unable to reach that level again. For someone who is the second most expensive player in United’s history and was struggled under a manager who knew him best, it’s not good enough.
Signed from: Chelsea
Transfer fee: £55m + £5m
Appearances: 25
Mason Mount was a top player for Chelsea, but a £60m deal and only 25 appearances since he arrived more than a year ago paints enough of a picture about where he should rank.
Signed from: Crystal Palace
Transfer fee: Loan
Appearances: 0
Six months on loan as a back-up to David de Gea and no appearances.
Signed from: Newcastle United
Transfer fee: Loan (£2m)
Appearances: 2
It was Martin Dubravka’s exit in January 2023 that paved the way for Butland to join for the rest of that season. But the Slovakian at least had early rounds of the Carabao Cup to keep him more involved.
Signed from: Burnley
Transfer fee: Loan (£3m)
Appearances: 31
Wout Weghorst was recruited in January 2023 to boost numbers up front. He did contribute to the team, often doing the dirty work for others, but it was no goals in 17 Premier League games and only two overall.
Signed from: Bologna
Transfer fee: £35m
Appearances: 13
A goal on his Premier League debut and an assist in Ten Hag’s final game in charge bookended a quite underwhelming start for Joshua Zirkzee. His appearances in United colours so far have often been characterised by minimal involvement, heavy touches and wayward passes.
Signed from: Feyenoord
Transfer fee: £13m + £1.7m
Appearances: 39
Never intended to be a regular starter, Tyrell Malacia enjoyed a decent debut season as a squad player. But he missed the whole of 2023/24 through injury when United were in desperate need of left-backs.
Football is so often about timing and he missed his golden chance.
Signed from: Fenerbahce
Transfer fee: £4.3m
Appearances: 2
United fans have seen precious little of Turkiye’s Altay Bayindir, signed for relative peanuts to be a back-up. His unseen role on the training pitch alongside Andre Onana and Tom Heaton is probably more important.
Signed from: Fiorentina
Transfer fee: Loan (£8.5m)
Appearances: 30
Sofyan Amrabat was first linked with United off the back of his outstanding 2022 World Cup with Morocco, but his eventual loan arrival in Manchester wasn’t for another few months. He wasn’t bad but didn’t establish himself as a regular starter and wasn’t worth the £21.4m required to keep him.
Signed from: Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer fee: Loan
Appearances: 12
United didn’t pay a loan fee to sign Sergio Reguilon in a rather desperate move on summer deadline day in 2022. He was okay, if not outstanding, and it was ultimately shortsighted of the club to activate a break clause midway through that season and send him back to Spurs.
Signed from: Bayern Munich
Transfer fee: £12.8m + £4.3m
Appearances: 13
After years of United being held to ransom on transfer fees, fans applauded the capture of Noussair Mazraoui this past summer because it seemed to be a much better deal for the club.
Signed from: Real Madrid
Transfer fee: £60m + £10m
Appearances: 95
Casemiro was brilliant, albeit perhaps not ‘multiple Champions League winner with Real Madrid’ brilliant, in his first season with United. But he made a big impact and was quickly a fan favourite. His second season was, on several occasions, dire amid suggestions he was past it.
Even then, the Brazilian has still put in decent performances and would still be higher up the list but for just how expensive he has been.
Signed from: Bayern Munich
Transfer fee: Loan
Appearances: 18
Recruiting Marcel Sabizter on loan at the very end of the January window in 2023 was opportunistic and United could have done a lot worse than keep him around beyond that initial deal after a decent few months. He wouldn’t have been hugely expensive to sign permanently and the following season he was playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.
Signed from: Paris Saint-Germain
Transfer fee: £42m + £8.5m
Appearances: 7
It feels harsh to judge Manuel Ugarte any worse than this. He had a woeful baptism of fire on his full debut against Tottenham but later bossed the midfield against Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
In theory, at 23, he’s the young Casemiro that the squad is crying out for and looks to be imminently reunited with Ruben Amorim, the coach who originally turned him into a potential superstar at Sporting CP.
Signed from: Bayern Munich
Transfer fee: £38.6m + £4.3m
Appearances: 12
Matthijs de Ligt was considered one of the best centre-backs in Europe as a teenager and is still young enough, now aged 25, to be that again. His career at Juventus and Bayern Munich didn’t pan out as hoped, but his recent performance against Brentford was a window into what he could be.
Like with former Bayern Munich teammate Mazraoui, United’s recruitment department weren’t burned on the transfer fee either.
Signed from: Lille
Transfer fee: £52.2 + £6.7m
Appearances: 0
Injury means that, several months into his United career, Leny Yoro is yet to make his competitive debut. That means he can’t be ranked higher than players who have made a verifiable sound impact, but the fact that Real Madrid were so keen and viewed the teenage Frenchman as a generational talent is enough to be automatically higher than 15 others.
Signed from: Atalanta
Transfer fee: £64m + £8m
Appearances: 51
United went for long-term potential over chasing a proven superstar when Rasmus Hojlund joined from Atalanta.
He was a largely unknown prospect at the time but has shown similarities to fellow Scandinavian striker Erling Haaland, without the top tier service, and has been slightly limited by injuries. You get the feeling that if he’s playing in a performing team, the Dane will score plenty of goals.
Transfer fee: Free agent
Appearances: 83
Having proven himself once more at Premier League level on a short-term contract with Brentford following his near fatal cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, Christian Eriksen was a smart signing in the summer of 2022.
United seriously missed the Dane when injury curtailed his first season, and while 2023/24 saw him become more of a rotation option, he has surged back to prominence in 2024/25 as a rare bright spark.
Transfer fee: Free agent
Appearances: 37
It is quite remarkable that, after re-signing with United to make up numbers during pre-season in 2023, Jonny Evans has become an invaluable member of the squad, almost a decade after his first spell at the club ended.
Due to the seemingly neverending injuries at the heart of the defence, there is a case to say he has been the most reliable centre-back since he arrived.
Signed from: Ajax
Transfer fee: £47m + £8.5m
Appearances: 71
If only Lisandro Martinez hadn’t been injured several times during 2023/24. The Argentine, despite his short stature, has the physicality built for the Premier League and quickly emerged as a fan favourite.
He hasn’t been immune to the occasional shocker but is one of relatively few signings of the the last two years that seems capable of being part of a more successful version of United in the long-term future.
Signed from: Inter
Transfer fee: £43.8m + £3.4m
Appearances: 64
Andre Onana has, in many ways, followed in the footsteps of predecessor David de Gea. It was a decidedly ropey start following his high profile arrival, with the added pressure of replacing a legend, but his saves have made a significant difference for the better since 2023 became 2024.
