Antony a DISASTER, Martinez a SUCCESS: Rating every Ten Hag signing for Man Utd

Updated: 7 Sep 2023 06:29 CDT
7 min read

Erik ten Hag, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Man Utd — © ProShots

Erik ten Hag has been at Manchester United for three windows now. As FootballTransfers reported when he came in, the Dutchman wanted to overhaul the depleted side who had just slumped to their worst Premier League finish, under Ralf Rangnick the season prior.

The renovation is not quite finished yet - the likes of Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, and Anthony Martial still remain - but a large portion of players fitting the Ten Hag blueprint are now in Man Utd colours.

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Bar Rasmus Hojlund, who’s barely kicked a ball for the club, and Altay Bayindir, Sofyan Amrabat, Sergio Reguilon and Jonny Evans, who have yet to play (enough), we go through every signing the club have made under Ten Hag and give our grades for so far, with 10 being perfect and zero being absolute pants.

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Marcel Sabitzer - 4/10

Marcel Sabitzer arrived from Bayern Munich to see Man Utd over the line in their Champions League pursuit last 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.

Jack Butland - 2/10

Former England international Jack Butland was another January loan signing. He joined from Crystal Palace and sat on the bench 20 times in all competitions, including for the 2023 FA Cup final. He never featured once, but given it was a loan and the fact it would be a tad unfair to rank a player without minutes a ‘1/10’, we have graded the shot-stopper a little higher.

Christian Eriksen - 6/10

Christian Eriksen has been solid since signing for Man Utd as a free agent in the summer of last year. Ten Hag has been playing him deeper than he’s used to, sitting alongside Casemiro as a false No.6, where he’s provided good build-up play and cover throughout the minutes he's played. It’s not been an exceptional stint by any measure, but in terms of value for money, Eriksen has been a sound addition.

© ProShots - Eriksen joined as a free agent

Martin Dubravka - 3.5/10

Martin Dubravka joined Man Utd on loan from Newcastle, as cover for David de Gea, when the Spaniard was still around. The Magpies keeper featured in just two games for Man Utd, and even picked up a winners’ medal after his loanee club beat his parent club in the EFL Cup final at Wembley.

Wout Weghorst - 1.5/10

A lot was to be expected of Wout Weghost as Man Utd picked up the striker in the January window. He was supposed to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s fill-in replacement, 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 truly awful loan period for the player. Man Utd had an easy decision in whether to keep the 31-year-old or send him back to Burnley.

Tyrell Malacia - 4/10

Tyrell Malacia was brought in as a possible replacement for Luke Shaw. But the youngster’s trajectory has plateaued, while Shaw’s went up. What's more telling, even with the England international out injured, Ten Hag hurried the club for another left-back towards the end of deadline day last window. They got in the aforementioned Reguilon on loan from Tottenham. It shows how far down the pecking order the €15 million Dutch youngster really is now.

Lisandro Martinez - 8/10

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. Indeed, the player has been known to be caught out on occasion, particularly getting taken apart in the club’s 7-0 hammering against Liverpool last term. As well as this, his aerial duel ranking is in the bottom 10 percentile, but when you look at how much he's dragged the Man Utd back-line up by its hair, he's been a phenomenal signing for some €57.3m.

Casemiro - 7/10

Man Utd had been crying out for a defensive midfielder for years. Then Casemiro joined from Real Madrid after the side failed to purchase Frenkie de Jong. A world-class talent, no doubt - but it was a purchase made during the Brazilian’s twilight years. The €70.6m that Man Utd paid some have questioned, especially when you consider the likes of Edson Alverez who joined West Ham for about half that - €38m - this summer. Casemiro missed a number of games through mindless red cards, while no player has been dribbled past more this season than the former Los Blancos man. But he has been the centre-piece of Man Utd's games, particularly last season, and has offered vast experience and leadership, with some crucial goals along the way. Were there any better options for the money spent? Perhaps. But no one can say it's been a poor transfer.

© ProShots - Casemiro was expensive but certainly bolstered Man Utd's midfield

Antony - 2/10

There is no getting around the fact that the amount Man Utd forked out on Antony last summer hamstrung the club in subsequent windows, Glazers or no Glazers. Indeed, this much money on a player could have been better spread across a number of fresh recruits. 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 team-mates - against Arsenal, the winger succeeded in just a single cross. He can carry the ball well, but so much more is needed for a man with a significant price tag.

Mason Mount - 4/10

Mason Mount has looked tepid during his first games as a Man Utd player, but he was always going to struggle to get up to speed. His confidence looked haggard at Chelsea, and that will undoubtedly take some time to sort out. The issue with Mount lies in his position. Did Man Utd need a man whose best credentials lie in what precisely their best player, Bruno Fernandes, can do? Yes, Mount can close down and press out of position, but for €64m including add-ons from Chelsea, the England international was arguably a luxury signing that Man Utd did not need.

Andre Onana - 6.5/10

Andre Onana will be under the spotlight heavily. There are still some quarters who feel that David de Gea should still be in Man Utd colours. Onana, who arrived from Inter, has been a marked improvement on the Spaniard where distribution is concerned. There have been a few gentle murmurs about his shot-stopping ability, but that will come in time, as will any cohesion with the backline. A few more months needed to get into the swing of things.