Erik ten Hag has leaned on the loan market during his time at Manchester United and has failed to sign a single player permanently.
It says a lot about the ways funds have been spent across two summer transfer windows, that Manchester United have had to stretch to loan deals to supplement the squad.
Erik ten Hag has been using loan deals to patch up gaps in his first team squad, necessary by the large sums of money spent on acquiring several of his permanent buys.
But there’s one thing all these loanees have in common, the manager has not signed a single one on a permanent basis.
Manchester United’s five loanees
Let’s run through Manchester United’s loan players under Erik ten Hag and what happened…
Martin Dubravka: Signed on loan from Newcastle, this was a back-up goalkeeper Erik ten Hag did rotate into the side. Martin Dubravka played in two matches, plus a winter friendly in Spain, where he performed poorly. The deal was cut short last January, with Newcastle initiating his recall.
Jack Butland: Brought in as Dubravka’s replacement, Jack Butland just warmed the bench, he did not play a single game. He joined Rangers as a free agent in the summer and has not looked back.
Wout Weghorst: The Dutch striker was brought in as Cristiano Ronaldo‘s replacement and there was a path to a permanent deal if he had performed well. It started well enough, with Weghorst at least proving reliably available, unlike Anthony Martial. But more was needed than that, namely goals. Weghorst scored only twice, none in the Premier League, and Manchester United did not pursue a deal. He is now at Hoffenheim.
Marcel Sabitzer: There looked to be a fair chance of United moving to sign Marcel Sabitzer too, especially after he netted twice in the first half of the Europa League quarter-final first leg. However, it was downhill after that, with Sabitzer missing the last fortnight of the season with injury, including the FA Cup final. He joined Borussia Dortmund in the summer, where he will link up again with Jadon Sancho when his loan is finally completed.
Sergio Reguilon: Manchester United had not planned to sign a left-back in the summer and had to move for Sergio Reguilon on deadline day amid an injury crisis. Reguilon did not play badly, but he did not win over Erik ten Hag either, who often left him on the bench when he was available. He was sent back to Tottenham early in this transfer window.
Bleak outcome for Sofyan Amrabat looks likely
There is one player currently on loan at Manchester United, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, signed from Fiorentina on transfer deadline day.
Manchester United did include a purchase option within this loan, but there has not been enough from Amrabat to suggest Manchester United will break habit and activate it.
Amrabat has started only seven Premier League games this season, and he has not played a single minute since December 18.
Erik ten Hag prefers other options, even during a stint where Casemiro has been out injured.
With fewer games in the second half of the campaign due to European elimination, there is unlikely to be enough game time available for Amrabat to change his manager’s mind.
Kobbie Mainoo’s emergence has seen Amrabat reduced to merely a back-up, and just like with Sabitzer, it is expected that if United do pursue a midfielder in the summer, it will be a younger player.
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