Seven summer transfer targets that Manchester United missed out on and their current performance

Manchester United may look back at the summer transfer window as a missed opportunity after Erik ten Hag’s side appear to have taken a step back this season.

Ten Hag’s first season in charge offered a lot of reasons for optimism. Despite spending £167 million in the summer on new players including Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund, the team doesn’t seem to have improved.

If they had signed different players, would they have fared better? We’ve looked back at the seven players that United was connected to throughout the summer and how each has performed thus far in 2023–24 elsewhere.

Marcos Leonardo.

When Leonardo was first linked to United back in August, very few people outside of Brazil had heard of the emerging star. However, Leonardo is starting to establish himself by compiling an increasingly spectacular highlights reel.

It appears that Santos’ No. 9 is the real deal. But there might be competition for Manchester United to sign him.

Jean-Clair Todibo.

According to French publication L’Equipe, United considered making a deal for the former Barcelona defender, who made an impression at Nice the previous campaign, as a possible Harry Maguire successor.

That was prior to Maguire declining West Ham and opting to remain and battle for his spot at Old Trafford; in fact, he has ended up taking on a more significant role under Ten Hag this season.

But considering Todibo’s performance in France, United supporters can pardon themselves for staring at him wistfully. In each of his previous six games, he has contributed to the surprise Ligue 1 table-toppers maintaining a clean sheet.

Maybe Sir Jim Ratcliffe can assist them in renegotiating the agreement.

Ryan Gravenberch.

After a slow start to the season, United was inevitably linked to several of the Dutchman’s former students to shore up their porous midfield. Eventually, they signed Sofyan Amrabat, who trained under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht. Another player linked to United was Ajax academy graduate Gravenberch, who eventually left Bayern Munich to sign with rivals Liverpool.

Though it took some time for him to settle in, 21-year-old seems to have found his spot in the Reds’ revamped midfield.

“I am extremely happy for him and he is a great guy,” Klopp said to TNT Sports following Gravenberch’s first goal for Liverpool against Union Saint-Gilloise.

“His time at Bayern wasn’t the worst in the world, but he can now find his rhythm and you can see that he is truly amazing when he has the ball and we can position him in the ideal spots.

Although it wasn’t the hardest goal he had ever scored, it was arguably one of the most significant because, hopefully, it was his first of many. Everyone is incredibly happy for him.

Amadou Onana.

This summer, United signed one A. Onana, but they may have signed two.

The 22-year-old Belgian midfielder for Everton made an impression during his first season at Goodison Park, prompting the Red Devils to inquire about a possible trade with Everton. But in the end, he stayed put as the Merseyside club insisted on their valuation of almost £50 million.

“It’s not a lost chance at all,” he stated in September to Le Soir.

In football, timing is everything. You must exercise patience.

Next summer, Onana will undoubtedly be connected to another move out of Goodison Park. For Sean Dyche’s team, he has shown reliable as they have appeared to be unaffected by relegation this season.

Benjamin Pavard.

Similar to Gravenberch, Pavard didn’t seem to be a major component of Thomas Tuchel’s plans for Bayern Munich. Manchester United was often mentioned as one of the top suitors for the French World Cup winner, who was a regular feature of the summer gossip pages.

In the end, Jonny Evans and Sergio Reguilon were only temporary additions to Ten Hag’s defense, and in the closing days of the transfer window, Pavard joined Inter Milan.

He’s looked a natural fit for the Serie A table-toppers and has settled in nicely in Simone Inzaghi’s back three. Unfortunately, he’s just suffered a setback with a nasty dislocated kneecap injury and could be sidelined until.

Harry Kane.

It was long assumed that United would move quickly to get Kane when the time came for him to depart Tottenham. They may guarantee him a chance to surpass Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal scoring record and more opportunities to win trophies in England.

However, the Red Devils remained unwavering even as tensions with Bayern Munich increased in the final weeks of the summer window.

While they haven’t shied away from making big-name acquisitions in the past, they have taken a different approach recently, opting to spend £72 million on Rasmus Hojlund, a 20-year-old striker, because of his immense potential.

The United leadership reportedly objected to Kane’s high price demands, according to The Mail Online, even though they had just succeeded in cutting David de Gea and Cristiano Ronaldo’s salaries.

In Germany, the England captain isn’t having too much trouble for himself.

Moussa Diaby.

The gifted Bayer Leverkusen winger has his sights set on joining the Premier League, with Manchester United and Arsenal expressing interest, according to a July Mail Online story.

After a club-record £51 million bid, Aston Villa emerged victorious in the contest for Diaby’s contract, granting him his dream to relocate to England.

It’s easy to say that the France international is doing okay because in his first 11 Premier League outings for Villa, he has three goals and three assists—three times as many as all of United’s strikers combined.

Zion Suzuki.

The highly regarded young Japanese goalkeeper Suzuki acknowledged that, at this early stage of his career, he prioritized consistent minutes over moving to Old Trafford.

In an effort to improve and become the greatest in the world, I made the decision to transfer this time. The 20-year-old clarified, “It’s true that Manchester United made an offer.

As a person and a football player, I would obviously like to join Manchester United if I hadn’t given it any thought, but above all, I truly want to take some time to consider my future. It took me a long time to decide this.

“Andre Onana has been acquired by Manchester United.” For me, playing on the international scene is just as vital as participating in matches. I want to give it my all and utilize what I have learned here.

Altay Bayindir, the backup that United did sign, has played exactly zero minutes this season, supporting that judgment. Although Suzuki is a regular for the Belgian team Sint-Truidense VV, in his nine Jupiler Pro League games, he has allowed 17 goals.