Sir Jim Ratcliffe once described Manchester United’s signing of Fred as “dumb money.”
Fred was signed from Shakhtar Donetsk for £50million and although he was clearly not a value for money signing, he delivered some good performances and was effective in some games.
United have made a catalogue of mistakes in the transfer market. Fred clearly wasn’t worth the money he was signed for but he is far from the worst player United have signed.
It would be fascinating to hear Ratcliffe’s thoughts on United’s more recent signings, although he can’t use the same colourful language in public now he’s a co-owner of the club.
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If the British billionaire considers Fred’s transfer as dumb, his thoughts on Antony’s transfer might be box office, and Erik ten Hag was responsible for signing the winger from Ajax.
The Ruben Amorim era is under way and excitement is building ahead of his first game in charge, but it’s worth looking back at Ten Hag’s hit-and-miss transfer record from his tenure.
So without further ado, here are each of Ten Hag’s permanent signings…
Tyrell Malacia
Signed for: €15m (£12.9m), with a potential €2million in further add-ons.
Verdict: Malacia briefly won Luke Shaw’s starting role on the left side of the defence in his first season. He made 39 appearances in that campaign and picked up a knee injury, which required surgery.
Malacia’s first operation didn’t go as planned, he required another round of knee surgery and only made his return from a 517 day absence when playing for the Under-21s last week.
Christian Eriksen
Signed for: Free transfer
Verdict: Eriksen was brilliant in the first half of the 2022/23 season, starting with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in midfield and helping Ten Hag oversee a turnaround after a poor start.
He was a peripheral squad figure in his second campaign but has enjoyed an unlikely renaissance, as Ten Hag brought Eriksen back into the starting team in his final weeks in charge.
Lisandro Martinez
Signed for: €57.3m (£48.3m), with an additional €10m (£8.4m) in add-ons.
Verdict: A lot was made of Martinez’s height when he signed from Ajax but it didn’t take him long to silence the critics. He is a huge fan favourite and United are a better team when he plays, but Martinez was absent for a large chunk of his second year in Manchester due to injury.
Martinez has looked to put those injury problems behind him this season and is getting back to his best.
Casemiro
Signed for: €71.8m (£60m), with an additional €11.9 (£10m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Casemiro was outstanding in his first year, helping United win the Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League, but his second season was absolutely disastrous.
Many thought there was no way back for Casemiro when he was hooked after 45 minutes against Liverpool in September, however, he’s fought his way back into the team.
Antony
Signed for: €100m (£83.5m), with an additional €2.9 (£2.5m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Ten Hag pushed hard to sign Antony, who he worked with at the Amsterdam Arena, and United agreed to a deal despite Ajax’s valuation increasing throughout the window.
Antony contributed just one goal and one assist in the whole of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. He’s been an awful transfer and will likely be sold in the summer.
Mason Mount
Signed for: £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.
Verdict: Mount was always available for selection during his time at Chelsea but has suffered a few different muscle injuries at United, which have stopped him from making an impression.
There is still time for Mount enjoy a turnaround at Old Trafford and prove his quality.
Jonny Evans
Signed for: Free transfer
Verdict: What is there left to say about Evans? He wasn’t supposed to sign for United but everybody is glad he did. The veteran defender enjoyed a terrific campaign after his return to the club and can always be relied upon when he’s called into the starting team.
Andre Onana
Signed for: €51m (£43.8m), with an additional €4m (£3.4m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Onana has spoken honestly about his bad start but he improved last winter and his confidence continues to grow. He has made some wonderful saves this season – his double save against Fenerbahce was special – and can still go up a level when United improve their playing out from the back.
Rasmus Hojlund
Signed for: €76.5m (£64m), with an additional €9.5m (£8m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Hojlund scored 16 goals in all competitions in his first season. United believed he could become of the best strikers in the world but it was clear he was not the finished article.
Hojlund is just 21 years old and having the responsibility of leading the line at that age isn’t really fair. He possesses all the qualities to be a long-term success but is still raw.
Altay Bayindir
Signed for: €5.1m (£4.3m)
Verdict: Bayindir has played just a handful of times since signing from Turkey. He was given a rare start by Ruud van Nistelrooy in the Carabao Cup last month and made a mistake for Leicester’s first goal.
Joshua Zirkzee
Signed for: €42.5m (£36.5m)
Verdict: While Zirkzee was signed to lighten the burden of scoring goals on Hojlund’s shoulders, he hasn’t looked like a natural goalscorer and is more suited to linking up play in deeper areas.
Zirkzee scored on his debut – the opening day of the season against Fulham – with a superb finish at the Stretford End but hasn’t found the back of the net since.
Leny Yoro
Signed for: €62m (£51.8m), with an additional €8m (£6.6) in add-ons.
Verdict: Yoro arrived with a huge reputation and looks an exceptional prospect but fractured his metatarsal on the pre-season tour and is yet to make his competitive debut for the club.
Noussair Mazraoui
Signed for: €15m (£12.8m), with an additional €5m (£4.2m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Mazraoui is one of the best signings on this list. He’s made a brilliant start to his time at United after signing from Bayern Munich in August and seems like a bargain purchase
Matthijs de Ligt
Signed for: €45m (£38.4m), with an additional €5m (£4.2m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Although De Ligt had a shaky start, he’s improved over the last few weeks and is first choice in central defence with Martinez. He also has the quality to excel in Amorim’s system.
Manuel Ugarte
Signed for: €50m (£42.3m), with an additional €10m (£8.5m) in add-ons.
Verdict: Ugarte hasn’t convinced in the Premier League – he has made just two league start – but there have been signs of his quality in cup fixtures. He enjoyed the best spell of his career with Amorim at Sporting Lisbon and hopefully he will kick on following the 39-year-old’s appointment.
