Ranking Every Player Erik Ten Hag Signed For Man Utd From Worst To Best
SportsDunia ranked all 21 signings by Erik Ten Hag for Manchester United from best to worst, including the transfer fee paid during his tenure.
Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag got canned by Old Trafford chief in October 2024 after the worst start in Premier League 2024. The Dutchman Ten Hag joined the Red Devils in 2022 and was trusted with managerial decisions including the signing of the players. However two-and-half-year and 21 signings, United finally ended the ErikTen Hag Era due to lack of performances and average results.
On top of that Erik ten Hag spent over £ 600 million from which half of the players transferred from Ajax. Since his arrival in the United Club has spent half a billion on signing 21 new players.
Under 54-year-old Erik’s guidance, the team had some little success including the domestic cup in two seasons, the Carabao Cup in 2023, and their FA Cup in 2024. So in this article, we ranked every Man Utd signing under Erik ten Hag from Best to worst.
Ranking Factors will include the recent performance, impact, transfer fees, and expectations.
The list of every Erik ten Hag Manchester United Signing: Ranked From Best to Worst including transfer fee and matches played.
Rank | Player | Transfer Fee | Matches Played |
1 | Alejandro Garnacho | Youth Development | 102 |
2 | Christian Eriksen | Free | 59 |
3 | Raphael Varane | £40 million | 92 |
4 | Lisandro Martínez | £57 million | 49 |
5 | Casemiro | £57 million | 101 |
6 | Rasmus Højlund | £72 million | 57 |
7 | André Onana | £47 million | 70 |
8 | Leny Yoro | £52 million | 1 |
9 | Sergio Reguilón | Loan | 4 |
10 | Manuel Ugarte | £52 million | 7 |
11 | Jonny Evans | Free | 239 |
12 | Noussair Mazraoui | £15 million | 20 |
13 | Tyrell Malacia | £13 million | 40 |
14 | Sofyan Amrabat | £8.6 million loan | 30 |
15 | Marcel Sabitzer | Loan | 16 |
16 | Joshua Zirkzee | Loan | 19 |
17 | Martin Dubravka | Loan | 2 |
18 | Mason Mount | £55 million | 28 |
19 | Altay Bayındır | £4.3 million | 3 |
20 | Wout Weghorst | Loan | 31 |
21 | Antony | £85 million | 88 |
1. Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho was one of the top promising stars by the Erik ten Hag destined to be a Manchester United “X-factor” to be world-class. Garnacho is known for his pace, dribbling, and creating chances for the other. So far he appeared in 107 matches and scored 23 goals for the United. Alejandro Garnacho is a standout young talent who delivered game-changing performances in crucial matches.
2. Christian Eriksen
Danish center midfielder Christian Eriksen signed a three-year contract in 2022 with the club influenced by the ten Hag. He’s one of the consistent performers of Man Utd and had 86 appearances across all the competitions. His calm and composure especially under pressure makes him one of the best midfielder in the United.
3. Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane joined United and moved from Real Madrid for £40 million in 2021. In his first few seasons, he showed his best defensive skills, being calm, and composure in the back and easing off the pressure. Varane’s aerial skills and predicting the move are all suited to Erik’s ten Hag style of gameplay. However, injuries caught him occasionally limiting his impact in the United.
4. Lisandro Martínez
Argentine Lisandro Martínez is one of the best decisions by Erik for Manchester United. Martinez’s leadership as a strong center-back, enthusiasm, and tackling skills made him one of the fan’s favorites. His strong performances led him to the Player of the Month. But no one thought, Erik’s other top player would be caught in injuries like bone fractures and MCL injuries.
5. Casemiro
Casemiro is another signing by the ex-manager of Manchester United who joined in 2022. So far he has scored 15 goals in the 102 appearances which raised a question over his credibility in the club. Looking at the longevity, Casemiro is another least successful purchase by Erik ten Hag for Manchester United.
6. Rasmus Højlund
Danish footballer Rasmus Højlund was signed by Manchester United from Atalanta for £72 million in 2023. Whom Erik hailed as a promising young striker with immense talent. He is mostly known for his strength, speed, and movement off the ball. He started brilliantly, scored some important goals, and was expected to be an emerging star. However, Injuries limited his appearances and his impact on the club.
7. André Onana
In 2023, Ten Hag appointed André Onana who joined the club in 2023 from Inter Milan for £47 million. He was signed to strengthen the goalkeeping position in the United. On many occasions, Onana saved many goals and contributed to United’s crucial games. However, his transitions to the Premier Leagues did affect his performance and also divided the football pundits’ opinions on hiring the high-profile goalkeeper.
Also Read: Manchester United worst defeats in Premier League history
8. Leny Yoro
Leny Yoro is one more young prospect signed by Erik and promised a better future for the club. While Hag accepted worldwide praise for signing Yoro, the French footballer didn’t disappoint in the early match. But whether it was Ten Hag’s bad luck or Lany’s misfortune when he got injured. This limited Yoro’s appearances and his performances as well.
9. Sergio Reguilón
Erik signed Sergio Reguilón on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 for the Club. Sergio was signed as a backup for the left-back position due to injuries in the squad. Spanish footballer Sergio left an early impression with his pace, crossing ability, and offensive runs. Head some few moments where contributed with the attacking skills. However, Sergio Reguilón failed to leave a long-lasting impression.
10. Manuel Ugarte
A promising young talent from Uruguay Manuel Ugarte joined the club early on from Paris Saint-Germain. His high spirits and strength helped in making up Erik Ten Hag’s mind to sign him for the Red Devils. He only appeared in 7 matches for United.
11. Jonny Evans
Jonny Evans rejoined the club as a free agent in 2023 after being away for a while. Erik called upon Evans due to an injury crisis in the defense lineup. So far, Jonny Evans appeared in 239 matches scoring seven matches and seven assists.
12. Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui joined United in August 2024 from Bayern Munich for £15 million. He is known for his versatility, playing as a right-back and sometimes as a defensive midfielder. He is a cost-effective signing with decent appearances but failed to leave a long-lasting impression.
13. Tyrell Malacia
Dutch footballer Tyrell Malacia was signed by Erik ten Hag from Feyenoord for a fee of £13 million. Tyrell’s start was pretty good, everyone was impressed with his pace, and left-back with defensive skills and offensive techniques. However, his success was meteoric as the promising start was derailed by injuries, sidelined for most of the recent season.
14. Sofyan Amrabat
Sofyan Amrabat is next on Erik’s worst signings for Man Utd. as he appointed him on loan from Fiorentina in 2023. Sofyan is known for his work rate and strong defensive capabilities in his former club. While in the United Amrabat struggled and couldn’t fit into the Club’s system. Although he made some remarkable appearances in domestic cups and league matches, still he struggled for consistency.
15. Marcel Sabitzer
Marcel Sabitzer joined the club on loan and moved from Bayern Munich in 2023 due to an injury crisis in the midfield. Comfortable with both short and long passing range Marcel made an immediate impact. He is skilled in passing range, technical ability, and intelligence on the ball. Speaking of his Man Utd tenure, Marcel Sabitzer provided short-term cover and contributed, but lacked elite quality in the club.
16. Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee joined United on loan in 2024 from Bayern Munich. Number Nine Joshua is famous for his height, strength, and goal-scoring instinct. So far he made 19 appearances and scored 3 goals. The limited appearances and performances underwhelm his overall success in the club.
17. Martin Dubravka
Next, we have Mason Mount, a loan arrival from Newcastle United in 2022 with expectations of improving goalkeeping. However, his limited game time affected his overall impact as well as his position in the squad. As his role was meant to be short-term Dubravka returned to Newcastle United, with United opting not to make his transfer permanent
18. Mason Mount
Mason Mount is one of the costly purchases by Erik ten Hag reportedly for a fee of around £55 million. Mount joined the United from Chelsea in 2023 as one of the most expensive signings by the United for that season. His skills like passing, ball carrying, and attacking defense make him one of the top midfielders. Although he struggled to be a consistent player due to injuries that prohibited him from using his potential.
19. Altay Bayındır
Moved from Fenerbahçe, Altay Bayındır joined Man Utd. for a fee of around £4 million as a backup goalkeeper. He served as a reliable second-choice option behind David de Gea and Andre Onana. However, his limited appearances kept him away from making an impression on the team.
20. Wout Weghorst
Wout Weghorst joined Manchester on a loan from Burnley as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. He mostly plays as a striker or is occasionally deployed as an advanced forward. Despite hard work and a significant role in certain matches, Weghorst struggled for goals.
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21. Antony
Antony is the costliest and one of the worst signings of Erik ten Hag for a fee or a fee of around £85 million. Antony joined Man Utd from Ajax in the summer of 2022. Since his joining, Antony had moments of brilliance but has been inconsistent, given the high price tag scoring only 12 goals.
So these are the 21 signings by Erik ten Hag for Manchester United. Do you agree with our list or not? Let us know who is the worst or least successful signing by Erik ten Hag.
FAQ’s
Q. How many players did Erik ten Hag sign during his time at Manchester United?
A. Under Erik ten Hag Manchester United club purchased 21 Senior players including five transfer windows at Old Trafford. It is an average of over four new players every six months, half of them coming from Ajax.
Q. Which signing is considered the least successful under Ten Hag?
A. Sergio Reguilón, Joshua Zirkzee, Antony, and Manuel Ugarte are some of the least successful signings under ten Hag.
Q. Are there any notable signings that did not meet expectations?
A. Some of the notable Jack Butland and Matthijs de Ligt are the notable signings that did not meet expectations in Manchester United.