Erik ten Hag took over Manchester United ahead of the 2022–2023 season, and since then, the team has had mixed results under the Dutch coach.

After United finished the 2021–2022 season with their lowest-ever Premier League point total, the former Ajax manager joined the team. First under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, then under intern coach Ralf Rangnick, the Red Devils finished 38 Premier League games with an all-time low of 58 points.

 

Even though ten Hag had a difficult assignment when he first arrived at Old Trafford, the board of United has supported the 53-year-old, as evidenced by the Greater Manchester team spending about £400 million throughout the three transfer windows ten Hag has been in charge of.

 

Despite this, United has occasionally had to settle for backup choices as ten Hag hasn’t always been able to secure his first-choice targets. In light of this, GIVEMESPORT has examined what their starting lineup may have looked like if Ten Hag had signed his top picks.

 

Andre Onana, GK

At least off the field, one of the United acquisitions that did go according to plan for Ten Hag. In the most recent summer transfer window, Andre Onana took David De Gea’s spot as the starting goalkeeper.

 

The goalie, who joined from Inter Milan, which advanced to the Champions League final the previous season but lost to United’s rivals Manchester City, paid United an incredible £47 million.

 

Since signing, the Cameroon international’s career hasn’t exactly gone as planned. According to some sources, the Red Devils may bring De Gea back to the team on a temporary basis.

 

Benjamin Pavard, RB

Since ten Hag moved to Old Trafford, right-back has been a trouble spot for him because Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot have split time there.

When rumors surfaced during the summer transfer season that United was pursuing Benjamin Pavard, who was preparing to leave Bayern Munich, there was not much of a surprise.

 

Pavard, a defender for France who had won the World Cup, was a member of the Bayern Munich team that raised the Champions League trophy in 2020. Despite appearing to be the ideal addition to United, Pavard’s move did not materialize as he went on to sign with Inter Milan.

 

Kim Min-jae, CB

While Kim Min-jae, a South Korean international, was playing well for a Napoli team that won their first Serie A title in more than 25 years last season, United had been considering buying him for some time. He was another unsuccessful signing from the 2023 summer transfer window.

 

Transfer insider Dean Jones informed GIVEMESPORT back in June that United was scheduled to have talks with the center-half’s representation after it became certain Kim was likely to depart the Italian team during the summer transfer window.

Lisandro Martinez, CB

One of the first players the Dutchman signed when he arrived at the club in the summer of 2022, Lisandro Martinez is another current United player who has been working with ten Hag for a number of years.

 

However, he did come at a hefty price, as United had to pay £56 million to get the defender for Old Trafford. Martinez, who made 45 appearances in his debut Red Devils season, was essential to the team’s success as they won the League Cup and were among the top four teams in the Premier League.

 

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Luke Shaw, LB

Luke Shaw has been a mainstay in several United teams since his arrival in June 2014, demonstrating that the £27 million that was invested on him over ten years ago was worthwhile.

 

Since coming from Southampton, Shaw has made over 260 appearances for the Red Devils and established himself as one of the top left-backs in the Premier League. Shaw has two League Cups and a Europa League during his tenure at the team; maybe the only thing he missed out on was participating in more championship campaigns.

 

However, injuries have plagued the England international’s career, and as of November 2023, Shaw has not yet made an appearance for United in the 2023–24 season.

 

Frenkie De Jong, CM

Frenkie De Jong was reportedly United’s top target for the summer 2022 transfer season, and the Barcelona player was on the team’s radar as soon as ten Hag signed.

 

It’s interesting to note that United and Barcelona were rumored to have reached an agreement on a contract for De Jong that was estimated to be worth £63 million. It’s enough to state that the Dutch international stayed in Catalonia instead of making the transfer.

 

After being forced to look for other targets, United eventually found Real Madrid player Casemiro, who signed for an astonishing £70 million. However, there are hints that, less than 18 months into his United career, Casemiro isn’t the rig

Bruno Fernandes, CM

Bruno Fernandes, the club’s greatest acquisition of the past ten years and possibly among the greatest of all time during the Premier League era, has occasionally outperformed his fellow United colleagues.

 

Arriving from Sporting CP of Portugal in the January transfer window of 2020, the deal was initially valued at £43 million, but it may potentially increase to £68 million with additional bonuses. And considering the effect Fernandes has had on the United team since signing, it appears that the majority of those bonuses will be realized.

 

Fernandes, who has played for the 20-time English champions more than 200 times, has contributed more than 100 G/A in that period, or one every other game. When ten Hag gave Fernandes the captain’s armband in the summer of 2023, it was clear how important he was to the United team.

Adrien Rabiot, CM

Adrien Rabiot has been connected to United numerous times in the past, and the Old Trafford team is reportedly still interested in the midfielder. At one point, it appeared as though Adrien Rabiot would end up joining the Premier League team.

 

Rabiot was reportedly a target for a transfer during the summer transfer window of 2022, but any chances of a deal were dashed when it was determined that the midfield player’s pay demands were too expensive. Although it appeared that interest would resurface during the most recent transfer window, Rabiot ultimately decided to stay at Juventus by signing a contract extension.

 

However, that agreement is only good until the end of the current campaign, so United and Rabiot might collaborate in the future.

 

 

Joao Felix, RW

Due to his rapid rise in popularity in recent years, it seemed inevitable that sensation Joao Felix would play in the Premier League at some point. United is expected to be among the teams vying for his services.

 

Felix was considering a move to England’s top tier during the winter transfer window, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who told GIVEMESPORT back in December 2022. The Italian journalist hinted that United would be interested in signing Felix. Felix, of course, ended up at Chelsea instead, as the London team paid an incredible £10 million to loan him to them till the end of the current campaign.

 

When it was rumored that Felix would return to Atletico Madrid on loan, there was renewed talk of a move to Old Trafford over the off-season. However, the Portugal international ultimately chose to move to sunny Barcelona.

Harry Kane, ST

Raise your hand if you really thought Harry Kane will sign a contract with Bayern Munich during the summer of 2023. All the money in the world would have suggested that Kane would sign with United instead, but in the end, the England captain’s inability to secure a transfer to the three-time European winners was due to financial constraints.

 

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The all-time leading scorer for Tottenham ultimately joined Bayern Munich for an estimated amount of £100 million, forcing United to settle for Rasmus Hojlund, an alternate target who cost the Red Devils an astonishing £72 million.

 

Marcus Rashford, LW

Marcus Rashford’s relationship with ten Hag may be in doubt, but when he’s playing at his best, there’s no denying that he’s one of the best wingers in the world of football.

 

Indeed, in Rashford’s debut season under ten Hag’s direction, the star from Manchester scored thirty goals and amassed an amazing 41 G/A contributions in 56 games across all competitions last season. Having only scored one goal in his first 14 games of the season, he hasn’t been able to duplicate that form thus far in the 2023–24 campaign.

 

Nevertheless, it appears like Rashford will be at Old Trafford for a considerable amount of time to come after agreeing to a new long-term contract with the team in July 2023. The contract will pay him an incredible £325,000 per week until 2028.