Manchester United's transfer failures have occurred for more than a decade and even in the final years of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign. However, Erik ten Hag must take responsibility for some of the decisions.
Ten Hag prompted Antony to sign a £85 million contract from Ajax in August 2022. And this is considered one of the worst deals in Man United's history. Ten Hag also approved a £55 million signing of Mason Mount, an injury-prone player from Chelsea, a year later.
In the summer of 2023, Ten Hag was determined to pursue Rasmus Hojlund, who was only 20 years old at the time, as a solution to the "Red Devils' goal-scoring problem." However, it was a mistake, not for Hojlund but for the players that Man United missed out on.
Harry Kane was once a top target for Man United but was left out for not pressing as often as Ten Hag requested. However, in reality, convincing the English striker to move to Old Trafford is not easy, even if M.U wants to.
Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney were also left out, but sources told ESPN that Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins had been seriously considered. Hojlund is too young and should be a solution in the future.
Ten Hag said after the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa that Hojlund was Man United's "Best goalscorer". However, the Danish striker has only scored 17 goals in 48 appearances. Hojlund also finished 25th in the Premier League scoring charts last season with 10 goals.
By comparison, Watkins scored 19 goals to help Villa qualify for the Champions League. The English striker also provided the most assists last season (13), more than Chelsea's Cole Palmer twice. Bruno Fernandes has assisted eight goals for Man United, while no other player has assisted more than four.
Hojlund can still prove himself as a player for the future. However, Ten Hag should sign a proven goalscorer, not just a young player with un culled potential.
In the 2024-2025 season, Watkins continued his impressive form with 4 goals and 2 assists after 7 rounds. The English striker has contributed greatly to helping the Villa Park team currently ranked 5th on the rankings.
In contrast, Ten Hag's attack has been a big disappointment with just five Premier League goals since the start of the season. That number of them is only better than Southampton, who are 19th in the Premier League (four goals). The Red Devils are also going through a streak of 3 consecutive matches without scoring in the tournament.
