Manchester United have made a stuttering start to the 2024/25 campaign, piling yet more pressure onto the shoulders of manager Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils have won just three of their opening eight matches, currently occupying 12th place in the Premier League. They’ve also been on the wrong end of multiple embarrassing results, losing 3-0 to Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford – with the supporters undoubtedly unhappy with the start to the new campaign.
The new-look hierarchy splashed out around £200m on five new signings over the summer to try and change the fortunes of the club in recent times, but up to now, it appears as though Noussair Mazraoui has been the only addition to make an immediate first-team impact. As for the other new signings, there’s still time for them to settle into life in Manchester and demonstrate that they can be worth the huge transfer fees splashed out for their services. Many will be hoping that they can provide better value for money than the majority of transfers from last season, which saw the club spend a fortune on talents who unfortunately haven’t made an impact under the Dutchman.
Manchester United’s transfer market in 2023/24 was notable, with the club splashing out on several high-profile signings. One of the most notable deals saw them part with £17m to sign Teden Mengi from Luton Town. The 19-year-old was touted as the next big thing, with talent scout Jacek Kulig describing him as “dominant”. However, it seems that United didn’t see it that way, letting him leave on a free transfer just a year later. Mengi’s statistics for Luton Town in the Premier League suggest that he could’ve been a valuable asset for United, with his pace and power potentially providing a welcome injection of speed and aggression to the backline.
Speaking of pace, there’s no doubt that United’s current options in defense are not as quick as they once were. Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof are all solid defenders, but they’re not blessed with pace. Mengi’s attributes would have provided a much-needed upgrade in this area, but it seems that the club’s hierarchy didn’t see him as part of their long-term plans. Perhaps it’s for the best, given the youngster’s rapid rise at Kenilworth Road, but it’s hard not to wonder what could have been. Meanwhile, Paul Scholes, who looks on with a mix of curiosity and disappointment, draws parallels with the Van de Beek experiment, which ultimately ended in a £420,000 loss for the club. As the saying goes, you have to spend to make amends, and it seems that United are doing just that, hoping that their new signings will be the ones to turn things around.
