Hit or miss? Man United’s 2024 summer signings

As we wind down on the final international break of 2024, Manchester United are continuing preparations for a new era.

Ruben Amorim officially took charge this week and the club are now building up to his debut in the dugout, against Ipswich Town this weekend. Erik ten Hag was sacked by Man United after another poor start to the season, which saw them pick up just 11 points from their first nine Premier League matches.

One of the things which made Man United’s start worse was the fact that Ten Hag had been backed in the summer transfer window. Man United strengthened in major positions, spending £182.3 million on five players. Defence was the biggest target with three new arrivals, but there was also an addition in midfield and attack.

So the question is, how have those signings got on?

Joshua Zirkzee

The first new arrival at Old Trafford this summer was Joshua Zirkzee. The young Dutch forward was signed from Bologna to provide some competition and support for Rasmus Hojlund. And in the end, it proved a necessary signing, with Hojlund missing the start of the season through injury. According to reports, Zirkzee wasn’t one of Ten Hag’s targets, rather a player wanted by INEOS’s management team.

Zirkzee had a dream debut, coming off the bench in Man United’s Premier League opener against Fulham to score the only goal. But that has been Zirkzee’s only goal of the season so far, in 17 appearances across all competitions. He has added two assists, one in the Premier League and another in the Europa League. He’s averaged 2.45 shots per 90 minutes, with 1.16 efforts on target, ranking him fifth and second respectively among Man United players this season. But he hasn’t been the goalscorer Man United desperately needed, even more so in Hojlund’s absence.

Verdict: Miss

Leny Yoro

• Price: £52.2m

• Signed from:  Lille

Leny Yoro was the signing Man United fans were most excited about. A young promising defender ready to be part of their backline for years to come. He had been linked to the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, so this was a big move for Man United. Last season for Lille in Ligue 1, Yoro averaged 3.27 clearances and 2.29 possessions won in the defensive third per 90 minutes.

Unfortunately, Yoro fracture his foot in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal and is yet to feature in a competitive match for Man United. But the 19-year-old is back in training and closing in on an official debut for the Red Devils.

Matthijs de Ligt

• Price: £38.5m

• Signed from:  Bayern Munich

Another much-needed arrival at centre-back was Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutchman had worked under Ten Hag at Ajax, but this wasn’t a nepotism signing. De Ligt’s playing time at Bayern Munich last season was hindered by injury, and they were happy to let him go in the summer after just two years. He had to wait a few weeks for his first Man United start, but De Ligt is now a must-have in the Red Devils’ defence.

The Dutchman has been reliable at the back for Man United this season, particularly in the air. He has made 22 headed clearances and won 25 aerial duels across all competitions, both the most among Man United players. De Ligt also ranks second for overall clearances with 37. The Dutchman is also crucial to Man United building out from the back, completing the fifth-most passes per 90 minutes across all competitions (50.86) and having the best accuracy (91.83%).

Noussair Mazraoui

• Price: £12.8m

• Signed from:  Bayern Munich

De Ligt’s arrival at Man United was part of a double move from Bayern Munich, with Noussair Mazraoui following the Dutchman. Mazraoui was another to have played under Ten Hag at Ajax and he was signed for his versatility, capable of playing both sides of the defence. He also spent some in midfield. Again injury slightly hampered Mazraoui at Bayern, while he also had to deal with being Joshua Kimmich’s competition. Full-back had been a problem for Man United last season, particularly due to Luke Shaw’s injury problems.

Mazraoui’s arrival at right-back allowed Dalot to fill the gap on the left in Shaw’s absence. And it’s a change that has really worked for Man United. The Moroccan has been a reliable defender — and a man to rely on no matter what has been asked of him. Mazraoui leads the Premier League for tackles this season, with 39 in total, one more than Moises Caicedo and Daniel Munoz. He also leads Man United for tackles across all competitions, at 3.99 per 90 minutes. Only Dalot (3.42) has won possession more times in the defensive third across all competitions this season at Man United than Mazraoui’s 2.69.

Verdict: Hit

Manuel Ugarte

• Price: £42.3m

• Signed from:  PSG

The final piece of the transfer puzzle for Man United this summer was a midfielder. And Manuel Ugarte was their man. But they had to wait until the end of the transfer window to get the Uruguayan from PSG. Ugarte only joined the French club from Sporting CP last summer, but they were happy to move him on after a year. And now he’ll be linking up with his former Sporting boss Amorim.

It took Ugarte some time to get into Man United’s starting XI in the Premier League, and he has only really got consistent minutes going into the November international break. But in his final game against Leicester City, Ugarte was a rock. The Uruguayan made eight tackles in the 3-0 win, also making three interceptions. Across all competitions, Ugarte has averaged 2.13 interceptions per 90 minutes, the fourth-most in the Man United squad. He also sits third for possessions won in the attacking third (0.93) and second for possessions won in the middle third (3.06) per 90.