Erik ten Hag has made 22 signings for Manchester United so far. Here’s how we rank them.
Let’s be honest, some of the signings made by managers post Sir Alex Ferguson have been nothing short of miserable. From Angel Di Maria to Marouane Fellaini, there have seriously been some shockers.
Erik ten Hag has had four windows now to mould his squad to his liking. He’s spent a fair whack in the process – but how much of it has paid off?
So, with this here are all of Ten Hag’s Manchester United signings, ranked.
NEW ENTRIES TO BE RANKED SOON…
- Joshua Zirkzee
- Leny Yoro
- Matthijs de Ligt
- Noussair Mazraoui
- Manuel Ugarte
- Sekou Kone
16 – Jack Butland
One that is probably forgotten as a Ten Hag signing is that of Jack Butland.
Following Dubravka’s departure back to the Northeast, a keeper was needed to which United raided Stoke City for a former player in Butland. He was involved in match-day squads 20 times but did not play a single game.
15 – Martin Dubravka
Martin Dubravka was brought in on loan to provide competition for David de Gea following Dean Henderson‘s loan move and also to play in cup games.
The games he did feature in were pretty woeful, and his tenure at Old Trafford lasted just under six months when the Geordies recalled him following a mid-season keeper crisis. He won’t exactly go down as a United legend.
14 – Altay Bayindir
Up to number 14 on the list from 16, Altay Bayindir has played one match for Manchester United, against Newport.
He arrived from Fenerbache for £4.3million but hasn’t been in the frame once at Old Trafford yet.
Now in his second season at Manchester United, he will hope for a few more opportunities.
13 – Wout Weghorst
A striker that caused major debate at Manchester United was Wout Weghorst.
The towering Dutchman was brought in following a genuine striker crisis at United, with Cristiano Ronaldo departing and Anthony Martial‘s fitness levels very questionable – ten Hag decided to bring in Weghorst on loan from Burnley.
He was a very strange one. He gave his all for the badge, but ultimately only scored twice for the Red Devils in what was a simply shocking return. Ten Hag chose not to sign him on a permanent.
12 – Sergio Reguilon
Sergio Reguilon may have a lot more to give at Manchester United.
The Spaniard was brought in after Luke Shaw’s long-term injury emerged from Tottenham Hotspur. He had a bright start but then got injured himself.
Since coming back, he’s been fine at best. He has time to improve, so we’ll see what pans out for Reguilon.
11 – Antony
Antony arrived from Ajax for a whopping £86 million. Let’s be honest, he hasn’t lived up to his price tag yet.
A frustrating player, he showed great promise early on but has been on slow, sad decline since. His performances in the 23/24 season have been particularly woeful.
Combine this with the astronomical fee, we simply can’t have Antony any higher.
10 – Mason Mount
Mason Mount became Manchester United’s first summer signing in 2023, leaving Chelsea.
He arrived for a whopping £55m, which was a hefty fee considering he was out of contract in 2024. Mount has not exactly hit the ground running at Old Trafford.
Despite being Erik ten Hag’s number-one midfield target, the Champions League winner has been out of the starting XI.
Despite this, Mount is still young and there is evidently raw talent there. We’ll give this one more time before we properly judge.
9 – Marcel Sabitzer
Marcel Sabitzer was struggling for game time at Bayern Munich, and thus was let go to United in the dying embers of the transfer window following word Christian Eriksen would be out injured for some time.
Sabitzer looked like a classy player on his arrival and had some very decent games for United. He was a solid loan acquisition who unfortunately got injured before the 2023 FA Cup Final.
Sadly, he isn’t at the club anymore and can only be ranked here due to his short tenure in Manchester.
8 – Tyrell Malacia
Tyrell Malacia still has bags of potential – the problem has been his injuries.
The 23-year-old hasn’t had as much game time as he’d have probably liked due to Luke Shaw‘s fine form last season and a persisting injury in the 23/24 campaign. However, what’s undisputed is when Malacia has come in he’s done a very good job.
A notable fantastic performance against Liverpool in the first few fixtures was enough to sell most fans that he justified his £13 million price tag.
Question marks remain over his future after the length of his time on the sidelines, now approaching 18 months, which has put a completely different spin on his time at the club.
7 – Sofyan Amrabat
Sofyan Amrabat was signed on loan from Fiorentina in the 2023/24 season.
He played under Erik ten Hag at his former club FC Utrecht and was acquired on deadline day for the Red Devils.
Amrabat struggled at times but also provided value by fitting in at full-back when needed, before stepping up at the end of the season to turn his spell around.
The Moroccan starred in the FA Cup Final with
6 – Jonny Evans
We don’t think anyone would’ve expected Jonny Evans to be at Manchester United in 2023 – never mind Erik ten Hag’s fifth-best signing as boss.
The gaffer decided to take a punt on the veteran centre-half and Evans actually propelled his way into the starting XI, forming a partnership with Harry Maguire.
Evans’ experience has been very useful for United this season and for free – absolutely no one can complain about this signing. We’re delighted he’s back at Carrington.
5 – Christian Eriksen
An inspired transfer by Erik ten Hag was Christian Eriksen. The fact United obtained this man for free is nothing short of ludicrous. Eriksen was fantastic for United before his injury.
The problem is since then he’s gone the way of Juan Mata in his final seasons at the club, looking his age, and struggling amid the pace of the Premier League. In certain games he’s still an asset, it’s just a shame his first six months couldn’t last.
4 – Casemiro
A man who completely changed the dynamic of United’s midfield in his first season was Casemiro.
The Brazilian arrived from Real Madrid for a hefty sum in the summer of 2023, with United seemingly having found the answer to the first proper influential holding midfielder like him since probably Michael Carrick.
Casemiro’s decline in 2023/24 was frustrating – and led to questions over his future. He has stuck around and looks like he may have a second wind in 2024/25.
3 – Andre Onana
Andre Onana had a really tough start at Manchester United – has really begun to turn it around.
It was always going to be a difficult task arriving for £47m and replacing one of the longest servants in the club’s history, but that was the tall task the Cameroonian was faced with.
Because of this, every little thing he did was scrutinized, which made for a nightmare start. A strong second half to the season has begun to change minds, and is an upgrade on David de Gea in several statistical categories.
Onana ended 2023/24 as a FA Cup winner and is now the undisputed number one, and should play a part for years to come.
2 – Rasmus Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund may very well be the number-one slot one day.
The young Danish striker is what Manchester United have been crying out for, a proper number nine – and he’s now got the shirt to match.
His goals in the Champions League were a joy to watch, and he ended 2023/24 as the club’s top scorer, despite his trials and tribulations.
At just 21 years old, he’s an absolute gem. He’ll no doubt be a vital player under Erik ten Hag for years to come.
1 – Lisandro Martinez
At our top spot is the butcher – Lisandro Martinez.
Scrutinized by almost every pundit under the sun for his height on arrival, Martinez has proved the doubters wrong and then some.
His defensive capabilities are immense and he’s shown he can more than hack the Premier League. He’s future captain material.
He’s Erik ten Hag’s best signing so far in our eyes. Injury struggles held him back in his second year, before he returned to play a heroic role in the FA Cup Final.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
