Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim must waste no time in rectifying a major error that Erik ten Hag made during the Dutchman’s reign at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag became Bayer Leverkusen manager on 1st July and 2025 will mark the ex-Manchester United manager’s return to the dugout after his spell at Old Trafford.
The 55-year-old left Ajax in 2022 and arrived at United to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Old Trafford dugout, with Ten Hag enjoying success at the club.
Ten Hag’s reign as United manager included leading the Red Devils to both the League Cup and the FA Cup, but last season would be his last at Old Trafford.
The ex-Bayer Leverkusen head coach was dismissed from his role at United in October 2024, having previously signed a contract extension last summer.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos had backed Ten Hag with a summer spending spree in the 2024 window, but United’s form fell off a cliff in the 2024-25 season.
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim during the UEFA Europa League 2024-25 press conference at the Carrington training complex in January 2025.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
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Erik ten Hag was Manchester United manager when the Red Devils dropped a hefty transfer fee to sign Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund in 2023 when he was only 20.
United splashed out big in their pursuit of the 22-year-old striker, with the Red Devils paying £72m to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Serie A side Atalanta.
Hojlund’s time under former United manager Ten Hag and later under Ruben Amorim has raised big question marks over his long-term future at Old Trafford.
The Denmark international has struggled to consistently deliver in the final third for United and Hojlund has only scored 26 times in 95 matches for the Red Devils.
Hojlund’s woes continued in the 2024-25 season and the ex-Atalanta attacker only netted a disappointing 10 times in 52 matches across all competitions for United.
According to Mark Ogden for ESPN in 2024, Ten Hag had made the decision to sanction the signing of Hojlund, who was seen as a ‘long-term prospect’ for United.
It was added by the ESPN reporter that Hojlund was seen as ‘better value for money’ and United ‘rejected’ several players in their pursuit of the Denmark striker.
One of the more high-profile targets was Bayern Munich star Harry Kane, who was ‘dismissed’ as a target due to him ‘lacking the pressing’ element wanted by Ten Hag.
The biggest blow for United fans is the other two targets, especially as the club were ‘always unlikely to succeed’ with signing Harry Kane ahead of Bayern Munich.
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Ruben Amorim has Man Utd linked with Victor Osimhen and Ollie Watkins again after Erik ten Hag instead signed Rasmus Hojlund
Fast-forward to 2025 and United find themselves with a struggling Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford and being linked with two players that they missed out on in 2023.
Hojlund has been linked with Inter Milan and the United and Denmark striker could be offloaded this summer as part of Amorim’s United first-team squad overhaul.
Mark Ogden revealed at the time in 2024 that United were also linked with both Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins.
Victor Osimhen has been linked with United this summer after returning to the reigning Serie A champions following his season-long loan spell at Galatasaray.
Ollie Watkins has emerged on United’s transfer radar again and the Red Devils have put him on a list of potential replacements for Hojlund if he leaves Old Trafford.
United ‘ruled out’ both Osimhen and Ivan Toney at the time of signing Hojlund, while Watkins was ‘seriously under consideration’ by the Red Devils.
It’s now a full-circle moment for United and Amorim has his chance to do what Ten Hag should have done in the first place when he signed Hojlund in 2023.
The Red Devils need to bring either Osimhen or Watkins to Old Trafford this summer and potentially show Hojlund the door after his failed impact for United.