Erik ten Hag’s reign as Manchester United manager was an up-and-down few years. He won two trophies during his two-and-a-half-year stint at Old Trafford, taking home the Carabao Cup in his first season and the FA Cup in his second.
However, failures in the Europa League and disastrous finishes in the Champions League and Premier League ultimately led to his sacking in October 2024, before being replaced by Ruben Amorim.
Backing in the transfer market was not an issue for Ten Hag. He spent a fortune, with some signings turning out to be better than others.
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United’s former boss spent a mammoth £161m according to Goal, and whilst not all have been a success, there were some excellent additions. Perhaps the most value-for-money signing he made was Noussair Mazraoui. He joined the club in the summer from Bayern Munich for £12.8m upfront and a further £4.2m in add-ons.
He’s played 39 times for the club this season, grabbing two assists, including a sublime piece of work to set up Rasmus Hojlund away to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League. The Moroccan was described as an “unbelievable” player by football analyst Harrison, host of The Overlap: The Breakdown.
One of the more successful signings under Ten Hag was another of his former Ajax players: Lisandro Martinez. The 2022 World Cup winner cost £56.7m, and has since gone onto make 91 appearances in that famous red shirt.
Another shrewd piece of business completed under the former Red Devils boss was the signing of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer. The elegant midfielder has struggled with injuries at times, but is also close to 100 appearances for United, having played 94 times with seven goals and 17 assists.
As good as all these players have been so far, perhaps the best signing under Ten Hag was an investment for the future as well as the present.
The United player who was Ten Hag's best signing
With Raphael Varane leaving United in the summer upon the expiration of his contract, the Red Devils needed to recruit a new centre-back to replace him. They did that by signing young Frenchman Leny Yoro from Lille.
The France Under-23 international made the move to Old Trafford for a fee of £52.18m up front, and a further £6.73m in add-ons. They beat La Liga giants Real Madrid and fellow Premier League outfit Liverpool for his signature.
After returning from an injury he suffered in pre-season, 19-year-old Yoro has featured 18 times across all competitions for United. Amoirm has managed his workload well, ensuring he is not overplayed and at risk of another injury or burnout.
The Frenchman, who hails from Saint-Maurice, has made a big impression in his short United career so far. Football statistician Statman Dave recently described him as a “top talent”, and with goal-saving tackles like the one below against Liverpool, it is not hard to see why.
When comparing Yoro’s Sofascore stats from his final season at Lille and his time at United so far, you can see he has performed better in some areas. For example, last term in France he made 1.1 tackles per 90, compared to 2.1 this season.
Stat (per 90)
Lille 2023/24
Man Utd 2024/25
Pass accuracy
92.2%
92.5%
Accuracy long balls
3
1.9
Interceptions
1.2
1.7
Tackles
1.1
2.1
Aerial duels won
1.6
1.3
Given his great start to life at Old Trafford, it might not be a surprise to learn that Yoro’s value has crept up since, as per Football Transfers.
Having been rated at £23.5m when joining, he is now valued at £54.8m, and it seems like that will only increase.
On top of that, he is valued higher than several of his Red Devils teammates. That includes club captain Bruno Fernandes. United’s “Portuguese Magnifico” is believed to be worth £53.3m, and the fact that Yoro is valued higher shows his talent, if nothing else.
It has been a great start to life in red so far for Yoro, and the Frenchman will hope he can continue to build on these strong early performances. He is certainly well on his way to becoming Ten Hag’s best signing.