A seismic report has delivered a brutal verdict on Erik ten Hag's transfer strategy at Manchester United, branding his signings a catastrophic failure and prompting a major internal shake-up.
The study, conducted by football statistics experts CIES Football Observatory, analysed the performance of every Premier League club in the transfer market. The findings for the Red Devils make for grim reading, revealing a colossal waste of resources that has hamstrung the club's progress.
A Staggering £555 Million Gamble
Since his arrival at Old Trafford, Ten Hag has been entrusted with a mammoth £555 million war chest to rebuild the squad. However, the report concludes that this enormous investment has yielded almost no positive return, with the majority of his acquisitions now considered to be worth significantly less than their purchase price.
The most glaring example is Brazilian winger Antony, an £85 million signing from Ajax. His value has plummeted and he is now cited as the prime symbol of the club's flawed recruitment.
The Damning List of Failed Deals
The report doesn't stop at Antony. It highlights a pattern of poor acquisitions:
- Casemiro: Signed for £70m but now considered past his peak.
- Mason Mount: A £60m arrival whose impact has been minimal.
- Andre Onana: The £47m goalkeeper brought in to replace David De Gea, but whose error-prone start has drawn heavy criticism.
- Rasmus Hojlund: A £72m striker who shows promise but is yet to justify his huge fee.
- Sofyan Amrabat: A loan signing who has failed to make any meaningful impact.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Immediate Response
This damning assessment has accelerated plans by new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team to completely restructure the club's football operations. The report is seen as vindication for their strategy to install a top-tier Sporting Director who will assume control over transfers, effectively sidelining Ten Hag from the process.
The focus is now on appointing a figure like Dan Ashworth from Newcastle United to lead a new, data-driven approach to recruitment. The goal is to avoid repeating the expensive mistakes that have left the club with a bloated, underperforming squad and little resale value.
For Erik ten Hag, this report is a powerful indictment of his reign. While results on the pitch have been inconsistent, this analysis of his work in the transfer market suggests the problems at Manchester United run far deeper than just tactics and team selection.
