Yuvraj Singh
Christian Eriksen (Free Transfer)
The Former Tottenham Hotspur talisman was signed on a free transfer this summer, upon special request by the new Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag. Ten Hag was convinced of his fitness levels and ability to control the midfield, as he has shown numerous times with his old clubs.
Particularly convincing was his adaptation to the newly promoted Brentford team who he joined in the January transfer window and was instrumental.
Eriksen has started the first four league games albeit in different positions than expected. First as a false nine against Brighton and then playing as a quarterback in the no.8 role to transition from defence to attack.
He has looked much more comfortable playing from midfield and was United’s best player in the first half against Southampton.With the arrival of Casemiro, it will allow Ten Hag to push Eriksen further up the midfield where he can hurt the opposition.
However, from the onset, it looks like an astute signing and a proper replacement for the outgoing Juan Mata.
Rating: 7/10
Tyrell Malacia – £15million
Manchester United scooped in late to acquire the services of Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, who was on his way to Lyon. In the end, the lure of playing in front of the Stretford End was something the young talented full-back could not say no to.
Malacia was seen as a signing of the future with him playing the deputy role to Luke Shaw. Or that was the case that everyone presumed. Luke Shaw started in the first two disastrous losses against Brighton and Brentford and underperformed massively.
Ten Hag made the bold choice of starting Malacia against Liverpool and the youngster did not put a step wrong, keeping Mohammad Salah at bay for most of the game.
After the Liverpool win, he deservedly started against Southampton and gave another good performance. Suddenly an acquisition thought for the future is staking his claim in the first team and till now has not put a step wrong.
Providing a sense of athleticism, aggression and composure to the back line, Malacia is an underrated signing who will improve leaps and bounds under Erik Ten Hag.
Rating: 8/10
Lisandro Martinez – £55million
“The Butcher” Lisandro Martinez was our third signing of the transfer window and the former Ajax man went on strike to force his move to reunite with his former manager.
Known for his aggressive style of defending and the capability to play from the back in the Dutch league, Martinez had a difficult start to life at Manchester United.
It took him two games to get a hang of the Premier League with many pundits quick to pounce on the new signing and how his short build will be detrimental to his career as a centre-back in the Premier League.
The Butcher was quick to respond to such claims with two monstrous performances against Liverpool and Southampton deservedly winning the player of the match for the two games.
He looks far more assured with Raphael Varane at the back and it seems like Ten Hag has a good idea about his best centre-back pairing.
Rating: 7.5/10
Casemiro – £60million
It would be wise to suggest that signing Casemiro is actually one of the better moves that United have made in the transfer window.
The team was crying out loud for a proper holding midfielder ever since Micheal Carrick retired and it was evident to see the team not performing well without a defensive midfielder protecting the back line.
Casemiro is a great signing as he will other players, whether it be the central defenders or the midfielders around him to play more to their strengths.
None of the midfielders in the team offers what Casemiro can offer to the team and he will be an invaluable addition to the squad.
Alongside his positional importance, he will be bringing a vast amount of experience of playing at the highest level which will have a positive impact on the dressing room.
In conclusion, the signing of Casemiro is one of the best moves made by the club in recent transfer windows and something that can turn our season into a positive one.
Rating: 8/10
Antony – £84million
Erik Ten Hag has finally got his man and after weeks of speculation and intense negotiations, it was announced on Sunday by various reliable reporters that Ajax and Manchester United have come to an agreement for the Brazilian International.
The transfer fee paid for Antony will be the highest fee ever for a player from the Eredivisie and ranks in the top three transfer fees of all time for Manchester United.
Our fanbase is divided over the amount of money paid to secure his signature and although everyone is aware of his ability and potential, a big price tag often bears a heavy burden on the player and we can be hopeful that this is not the case with Antony.
On the bright side, Antony would finally occupy the vacant right hand of our attack which has been left untouched for some time and many players have been deployed there but to no positive outcome.
He will bring a different dimension to the team and would make our attack much stronger. Now it remains to be seen how he adapts to the new league under Erik Ten Hag, who for him is more than just a manager.
Rating: 7/10
Manchester United Summer Transfer Business
The first period of Manchester United’s summer transfer business was abysmal with the way they put all their efforts into signing Frenkie De Jong and wasted two months of peak business time chasing him. In the end, he rejected our offer and chose to stay at FC Barcelona.
Couple that with the disastrous start and it was already looking like a bad season for us going forward. However, August has been better in terms of reinforcements and one positive outcome is that they have solved two positions of a holding midfielder and a right winger which required urgent attention.
With less than four days to go until the transfer window closes, it looks unlikely that there are more personnel coming to Old Trafford. However, there are speculations that United are still active in the transfer window preferably for a backup goalkeeper, right back and a possible forward if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves.
On paper, it seems too much for it to happen in such a short period but it remains to be seen whether the United board can pull it off.
For now, I rate our summer transfer window as decent which can provide Ten Gag with an opportunity to contest for the top four and trophies.
Rating: 7/10
