From Antony to Hojlund - rating every Ten Hag signing for Man Utd

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 28 Oct 2024 12:52 GMT
• 8 min read

Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United a matter of weeks after extending his contract with the Old Trafford club.

One of the Dutchman's often-cited failings in charge of the Red Devils was his recruitment. He was accused of focusing his signings on players he had previously worked with in the Eredivisie and that they were not up to the standard of Man Utd.

But how did Ten Hag's signing perform? FootballTransfers has rated each senior player he’s brought to the club on a scale of 1 to 10.

READ MORE: Man Utd’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Marcel Sabitzer - 4/10

Marcel Sabitzer arrived from Bayern Munich to see Man Utd over the line in their Champions League pursuit in the 2022/23 season. Joining in January from the German outfit, the midfielder was a solid addition to the club but never really made a lasting impact.

He wanted to stay at Old Trafford by all accounts, but Ten Hag didn’t see the point in keeping the Austrian around and so he headed back to the Bundesliga.

Jack Butland - N/A

Former England international Jack Butland was another January loan signing. He joined from Crystal Palace in the winter window of 2023 and sat on the bench 20 times in all competitions, including for the 2023 FA Cup final.

He never featured once so it's too hard to make a say either way.

Christian Eriksen - 5/10

Signed as a free agent in the summer of 2022, Christian Eriksen was a solid addition to Man Utd's squad in the initial stages.

Ten Hag had him playing a deeper role, often sitting alongside Casemiro as a false No.6, where he’s provided good build-up play and cover throughout.

The first season was satisfactory but it's been rather more uneven for the Denmark international star since then. Indeed, it was something of a surprise he was not moved on in the summer.

Martin Dubravka - 3/10

Martin Dubravka joined Man Utd on loan from Newcastle, as cover for De Gea.

The Magpies keeper featured in just two games for the Red Devils and he headed back to St James' Park after the club recalled him in January 2023.

Wout Weghorst - 3/10

A lot was expected of Wout Weghost as Man Utd picked up the striker on loan in the January window last season. He was supposed to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement (tactically at least), someone who would at least press from the front and lead with a physical presence.

Unfortunately, Weghost failed in almost every capacity for Man Utd. He netted two goals in 31 outings for the side, in what was a disappointing period for the player. Man Utd made the easy decision to send him back to Burnley.

Tyrell Malacia - 2/10

Tyrell Malacia was brought in as a possible replacement for Luke Shaw. But the youngster’s trajectory plateaued as Shaw’s went up. He certainly showed some promise in his early months at the club but lost his place midway through the 2022/23 season and has been left frustrated by injuries.

The 24-year-old underwent knee surgery in the summer of 2023 and has been out of action ever since.

Lisandro Martinez - 7/10

Lisandro Martinez has come in and offered the mental fortitude that Man Utd desperately needed for the backline. He was instrumental in their entry to the Champions League and their EFL Cup triumph.

The World Cup winner, though, has been known to be caught out on occasion, particularly getting taken apart in the club’s 7-0 hammering against Liverpool last term.

In the 2022/23 season, the €57.3m signing dragged Man Utd up by the scruff of their neck but injuries plagued him last season and he rarely featured. This time around, it's not been quite the same Martinez.

Casemiro - 5/10

Man Utd had been crying out for a defensive midfielder for years. Then Casemiro joined from Real Madrid after the Red Devils failed to purchase Frenkie de Jong. A world-class talent, no doubt - but it was a purchase made during the Brazilian’s twilight years.

Man Utd paid lavishly for him but, initially, it seemed a deal that was a masterstroke. Casemiro was outstanding in his debut Old Trafford season but has faded dramatically since.

Antony - 0.5/10

There is no getting around the fact that the amount Man Utd forked out on Antony at Ten Hag's insistence in 2022 hamstrung the club in subsequent windows, Glazers or no Glazers. It might seem a scathing score but in transfers, it’s only fair if you relate the fee paid to what you get in return.

Antony has physically struggled, he seems unable to beat his man and find his teammates. He can carry the ball well, but so much more is needed for a player with a significant price tag. For the second most expensive signing in Man Utd's history, he has offered a poor return.

Rasmus Hojlund - 7/10

Sensational in the Champions League last term, Hojlund initially failed to find his feet in the Premier League. The €75m took his time to get going, but finished his first campaign with a creditable 16 goals.

The beginning of 2024/25 proved more complicated because of injury issues. When Ten Hag was finally sacked, he had posted 18 goals in 51 Man Utd appearances.

Mason Mount - 0.5/10

Mason Mount's move to Manchester United has been nothing short of a disaster.

Signed for €64 million with just a year left on his contract, he was a lavish purchase that Man Utd had no idea what to do with.

It doesn't help, of course, that he's spent most of his time injured. At the time of Ten Hag's sacking, he had played just 25 games for the Old Trafford side.

Andre Onana - 6/10

Huge questions were raised over Andre Onana when he joined the Red Devils and proceeded to make a string of high-profile shot-stopping errors that led to fans pining for David de Gea, who had been released weeks before after United could not agree terms with the Spaniard.

Has improved since but still has work to do in order to be considered a genuine transfer hit.

Altay Bayindir - N/A

With Onana dominating the goalkeeper position, the Turkey international has not had a significant look in, warming the bench for the most part.

Sofyan Amrabat - 3/10

Ten Hag chased the Morocco star throughout last summer only to bizarrely start him as a left-back. He never recovered. The only redeeming aspect of the deal was that Man Utd didn't need to keep him as he was on loan from Fiorentina.

Sergio Reguilon - 3/10

Hurridly signed when Shaw and Malacia were both out injured, he provided cover in the main, featuring in eight games. He went back to Spurs in January, leaving United with a left-back crisis in the second half of the campaign.

Jonny Evans - 7/10

A surprise arrival on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, the Northern Irishman has turned into some solid performances. He is arguably the shrewdest addition Ten Hag has made so far.

Leny Yoro - n/a

Man Utd beat the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool to Leny Yoro. A French prodigy, the youngster is one of the best up-and-coming defenders in the world.

Yoro cost Man Utd €62m and they were paying for his potential. However, his medical during the 2024 summer transfer window showed an issue with his foot. But Man Utd pressed on with the move regardless, only for Yoro to get injured almost immediately.

Yet to make an impression so unfair to give him a rating.

Noussair Mazraoui - 7/10

Noussair Mazraoui has been one of the most reliable outlets for Man Utd during his inaugural campaign at Old Trafford. He has been given a lot of minutes and plugged in well, showing up with consistent performances.

He joined from Bayern Munich for €15m when his ETV (Estimated Transfer Value) was €30m, and so far the transfer looks like a steal.

Manuel Ugarte - 4/10

Luis Enrique wanted rid of Manuel Ugarte, simply because the midfielder's style of play does not translate to what he wants on the pitch - a possession-based approach.

Ten Hag's own tactical setup is harder to define. But if he wants his side to dominate then Ugarte was not the right player for that.

The 23-year-old has struggled on the pitch and was even dropped to the substitutes bench soon after signing.

Matthijs de Ligt - 4/10

Matthijs de Ligt enjoyed a great start - his input in Man Utd's early game at Southampton showed real promise. But after that, he has looked a bit jaded and then dropped to the bench for important games, like the Red Devils' 0-0 draw against Aston Villa.

Fittingly, it was his foul to give West Ham a (very soft) penalty that finally saw Ten Hag sacked.

Joshua Zirkzee - 3/10

Joshua Zirkzee was a questionable buy. He had a decent season for Bologna, but it was nothing spectacular. The Dutchman netted 11 Serie A goals in 34 matches and this was enough for Man Utd to make a move.

With Hojlund being clearly talented but struggling for goals, Man Utd needed someone who could bring experience - and a guarantee of goals.

Zirkzee, at this point at least, is not that.