Erik ten Hag had to put his foot down as Manchester United manager in 2024 to ensure the club signed one of his primary targets, who has proven to be a key player under Ruben Amorim this season.
Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag in October 2024 following a defeat to West Ham.
A little under a month later, Ruben Amorim was appointed head coach following a successful spell in charge of Sporting CP.
The current United squad – not including loanees – includes 10 players who were signed when Ten Hag was manager.
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It is worth noting that Ten Hag had a mixed record with transfers during his time at Old Trafford, with one of his biggest mistakes being the decision to sell Alvaro Carreras.
Other bad decisions include the signing of Antony, who was sold to Real Betis in the summer.
That said, not every signing made by Ten Hag has flopped.
Matthijs de Ligt arriving at Old Trafford
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Man Utd recruitment team questioned Matthijs de Ligt transfer
Matthijs de Ligt was signed during Ten Hag’s final transfer window as United manager.
The Netherlands international formed a reunion with his former Ajax manager, even though it was short-lived because Amorim succeeded Ten Hag in November 2024.
However, it has emerged that Ten Hag had to put his foot down to ensure that the United board would follow through with De Ligt’s £42 million transfer from Bayern Munich.
According to the Daily Mail, Ten Hag was told De Ligt would not be a natural fit for United. The recruitment team at the time even labelled him ‘a Dutch Harry Maguire’.
De Ligt has since become one of United’s best defenders after becoming a mainstay in defence at the start of the 2025/26 season.
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Unfortunately, United have been without De Ligt with a back injury since United’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at the beginning of December.
The Netherlands international has missed three games against West Ham, Wolves and Bournemouth as a result of his injury.
Man Utd list of injuries
Amorim is expected to provide an update on injuries before United take on Aston Villa on Sunday.
Although three players are missing due to AFCON commitments, United are also without two players due to injuries.
They include Harry Maguire and De Ligt.
That means Ayden Heaven has been given a run of games in the team.
Meanwhile, Lisandro Martinez is waiting for his first start since returning from injury.
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