Aheed Abrar
Erik ten Hag slams Manchester United transfer business in recent years as ‘average’
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has slammed the club’s recent transfer business, terming most of the incoming players as ‘average’. The gaffer does not feel the club have purchased players who have been up to the mark.
The Red Devils spent over £1 billion during Ed Woodward’s time as executive vice-chairman at the club. However, we have drastically dropped down from the mantle Sir Alex Ferguson had put us on when he was the head coach of the Old Trafford side.
Speaking to the media via Express, Ten Hag, like most fans, feels United’s recruitment policy has lacked vision in the past. The Dutch manager has been underwhelmed by the signings the club has made over the years.
“The club has bought an unimaginable number of players in recent years that have not been good enough. Most purchases have been average – and at Manchester United, average is not good enough.
“United’s shirt weighs heavily. Only real personalities who can perform under great pressure can play here.”
The Red Devils have bought the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Matteo Darmian, Morgan Schneiderlin and Daniel James. Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku did not live up to their reputation in Manchester either.
Paul Pogba was another marquee signing for the Old Trafford side when he rejoined the side from Juventus for a record transfer fee. It is still the highest sum the club have paid for a player.
While the 29-year-old is a quality player, he was unable to consistently perform at United. In the end, we lost the France international to the Old Lady once again, as he left the club as a free agent in the summer of 2022.
The Red Devils have undoubtedly made a lot of errors in terms of recruiting players in the past. However, there have been some purchases like Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Raphael Varane that have paid off.
In the previous transfer window, we got Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony. It remains to be seen how their careers will span in Manchester, but the initial signs have looked promising.
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Ten Hag’s arrival has seen the club progress drastically in recent months. Hopefully, the Dutch manager’s appointment marks the start of a new era at United and he is the one who can steer us away from these so-called ‘average’ acquisitions that the club has made before his time.
