Shopping for Ten Hag - Summer Bargains
During last summer The Athletic’s Carl Anka, Mark Carey, and Maram AlBaharna wrote a series of pieces entitled “Shopping for Ten Hag” where they looked at positions that the new Manchester United manager may have wanted to strengthen before the 2022-23 season. They would then explore how Ten Hag had previously used players in that position, before recommending some who could serve a purpose for United in the future. Carl has noted that this will be made again for this summer, so I’m gonna try my best not to step on his toes with anything here. I’ll link the piece(s?) in with mine here when it’s (they’re?) released.
(Note: Just as I was about to release this piece I was notified that the first part of The Athletic’s summer series had been released. It’s an incredibly in depth piece about Goalkeeper targets. You can read it here.)
In January I continued the “Shopping for Ten Hag” series by myself with a few pieces focused on Bargain Bin alternatives for a team that was, at the time, on a lighter budget.
Part 1 focused on Centre Forwards
In Part 2 we got into some Right Backs.
Part 3 set out Defensive Midfield targets
These are all still fairly relevant, so would recommend reading them if you get the chance.
For this edition of the series, things will be a bit different. This is the only part of the series I’m going to be working on this summer, mostly because everything else will be covered by the much more qualified hands over at The Athletic (they’re doing a great deal at the moment, €1 per month for a whole year).
Manchester United know what they need to do this summer.
While in the past, United’s needs in a transfer window needs have been less well-defined, this season it’s as clear as can be.
Back the manager. He’s brought United back to being trophy winners. We’re back in the Champions League, and Erik ten Hag has some absolutely necessary reinforcements that he wants to bring to the club in key areas.
Goalkeeper, progressive Midfield starter/depth, Defensive Midfield depth, Striker.
In this edition I’m going to be looking at some bargain deals that Manchester United could complete in key positions to supplement the larger, more expensive signings that they need to bring in.
In each section I’ll run through what United currently have and what they need to bring in for that position, and suggest a cheaper alternative to a larger, more obvious, more expensive signing.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
Goalkeeper
David de Gea’s time as Manchester United’s undisputed #1 has to be over.
Despite pulling off key saves throughout the campaign and moving up the all-time Premier League clean sheet rankings as he won the Premier League Golden Glove, the Spaniard’s place in the starting line-up has been called into question on numerous occasions, namely due to his distribution and unwillingness to sweep behind his backline.
On multiple occasions last season, United were cost dearly almost exclusively by De Gea’s inability to pass accurately through a press and collect crosses in the air or balls in behind the defence. He seems like he’s constantly glued to his line, and even the skills that fans would have been able to defend him with in the past, his shot-stopping, reactionary saves, his ability with his legs, all of that has gradually dissipated over the last few seasons.
What’s likely to develop the longer Ten Hag remains at Old Trafford is Man Utd’s positioning on the pitch, specifically how high they are.
At Ajax, Ten Hag’s side would often start their open-play passing sequences higher up the pitch than most sides, both limiting the distance to their opponent’s goal, keeping teammates closer together, also making it easier to win possession back should they lose it.
On the whole, since Ten Hag’s first full season in charge of Ajax, his side has ranked first for average start distance and high turnovers in every Eredivisie campaign. There’s work still to do for his current project, but those two statistics will more than likely head in the same direction.
Currently Inter Milan’s André Onana is the most heavily linked goalkeeper to United. Few know Onana better than Erik ten Hag. Only six players have played in a Ten Hag team more often than the ex-Ajax keeper. Last year, the United boss described the 27-year-old as a ‘masterful goalkeeper’.
Onana is a proactive goalkeeper, happy to leave his line, for crosses and to defend the space behind his defence. In possession, his passing range is as good as any No.1 but what sets him apart from many is the positions he takes up to support and receive the ball. When he has it, Onana is happy to invite the press before playing over or through it. In these respects, the contrast between him and De Gea is – to be kind to the Spaniard – stark.
This is an area where Manchester United have to spend serious money. On a recent episode of The Overlap, Roy Keane likened the situation Manchester United are in to when Brian Clough signed Peter Shilton to play in goals for Nottingham Forest back in 1977, or when Edwin Van der Sar signed for United after the days of Bosnich and Barthez. Goalkeepers are going to make mistakes. They aren’t perfect. It happens. But to win trophies, you need a goalkeeper who you can rely on in all facets of the game, at every moment. De Gea isn’t trusted anymore.
£50m for Onana is a bargain for how desperately United need a player of Onana’s calibre. But if they aren’t willing to spend that money, where could they turn?
Maybe inward?
Matěj Kovář - Returning from Loan
Kovář has been with United since 2018 after joining from FC Slovacko. He has never played for United's first team but was involved in the Champions League squad under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He has tasted first-team football during loan stints at Swindon, Burton and now Sparta Prague.
Kovář enjoyed a brilliant campaign on loan in his homeland with Sparta Prague last season, finishing top of the Czech First League table and helping to claim the team’s a first title in nine years. Making 32 appearances in all competitions for Sparta Prague, Kovář kept 11 clean sheets and conceded just 34 goals in total.
Standing at a towering 6’5″, Kovar is good at dealing with high balls, but more impressive is his proactivity with the ball at his feet and sweeping up balls in behind, the exact things Erik ten Hag is looking for in a goalkeeper. Any United youth followers will also know of his shot-stopping prowess, which drew comparisons to a prime De Gea during the Czech keeper’s time in the club’s U23s.
What strikes me most having watched a few of his games is how calm he is in every situation. He never looks flustered, even in the middle of a goalmouth scramble.
Cool, calm, collected, Kovář. He’s still young, and still growing in ability. Should United bring in a new starter for a high fee, Kovář should go out on loan for another season, but should we decide to invest money elsewhere, he should absolutely be given a chance. There’s a real star in there.
Here’s a highlight reel for you to enjoy.
Progressive Midfielder
It’s no secret that Frenkie de Jong has been Erik ten Hag’s top target since he became Manchester United manager. Despite United reaching an agreement worth €85m including add-ons with Barcelona for De Jong last summer, Ten Hag’s pursuit of the Dutch midfielder last summer proved unsuccessful as De Jong was determined to stay at Barcelona. Last season De Jong was phenomenal for Barcelona and has become one of the key players in Xavi Hernández’s team.
With the possibility of signing De Jong now seemingly non-existent, unless Barcelona desperately need to force him out for financial reasons, Ten Hag will likely be forced to turn his attention elsewhere.
It’s important to understand exactly what profile of midfielder Manchester United need. What United seriously lacks is a midfielder who can drop deep, take the ball from the defence and progress forward. This is what De Jong specialises in and it’s why Ten Hag is so keen on signing him. Christian Eriksen has filled that role to an okay standard this season but he’s spent most of his career playing higher up the pitch and it’s not exactly where he shines the most. United have also suffered when playing him in higher intensity matches, as Eriksen isn’t a combative player by any means, leaving Casemiro having to do a lot of extra work defensively.
It’s absolutely crucial that United sign a midfielder this summer who’s very good in the first phase of build-up and that likely won’t be Frenkie de Jong.
While writing this piece, Manchester United secured the signing of Mason Mount from Chelsea for around £55m. This is an intriguing signing, and it seems that Ten Hag intends to play him in this deep lying 8 role, but United still need depth in the position for the long-term future.
Here are two options United could opt for. One that’s ready to go immediately, and one that needs a little bit more training, but could start cup games this season.
Sivert Mannsverk - Molde FK - €10m asking price
Coming out of Sogndal, a second-tier club in the western county of Vestland, he joined Molde FK in August 2021 and has played 69 games, starting most of them. As part of that team, he won their fifth Eliteserien title and fifth Norwegian cup in 2022, even scoring the winning goal during the national cup final against Bodø/Glimt. He is considered one of the best young players in the Eliteserien.
Based on his statistical profile we can clearly see that his specialty is deep playmaking and progression. He contributes defensively through smart interventions to steal the ball from the opponents, and aside from his excellent defensive positioning and marking, he is very good at provoking turnovers and he stands out particularly in terms of interceptions.
As the fantastic Casey Evans has remarked, Mannsverk is “a really exceptional talent in midfield, progresses the ball excellently from deeper areas and provides a lot of protection to the backline as well.” He’s a smooth operator sitting deep in front of the defense, smartly recycling and distributing the ball to complete the build up phase. He isn’t the most aggressive tackler (which is fine given he would most likely have Casemiro sitting beside him) but he defends through smart positioning and anticipations, and is far better in this area than his fellow Scandinavian was for United last season.
His passing is also excellent, especially at a medium-to-long range. He not only uses it for recycling and switching the play, but for progressing into dangerous areas: he averages about 12 progressive passes per game, which puts him in the 99th percentile amongst midfielders.
He’d be an excellent signing for United, capable of playing in the Eriksen role against the very best teams, and capable of replacing Casemiro when the team needs rotating against weaker opposition we’d expect to dominate.
From watching him regularly over the last month, I need this man at my club.
Habib Diarra - RC Strasbourg Alsace - £15-20m
Born in Senegal in 2004, he moved to France at a young age and has represented his adopted homeland at Under-16 and Under-19 level, breaking into the Strasbourg first team in 2022 during a campaign in which they finished sixth in Ligue 1, well above the expectations of many. Last season was a tougher one for them – finishing just five points clear of the drop zone – but it’s been a strong personal campaign for Diarra, who has firmly established himself in the first team and gradually built up a lengthy list of admirers.
A versatile midfielder, Diarra has mostly played for Strasbourg as either a right-sided midfielder or a creative central player – but he’s also played on the left and as a deep-lying playmaker as well. He doesn’t push too far up the field, preferring to receive the ball in midfield and carry it forward from there rather than looking to get in behind defenders.
He’s a fine dribbler with excellent close control and an easy, graceful running style that’s easy on the eye and helps keep defenders off him as he advances – but he’s not very fast, which may explain why he likes to take the ball from deep positions. He’s also a strong mid-range passer and spreads play quickly and effectively when he’s playing in the centre of the park, and a wonderful crosser of the ball when he plays wide.
He’ll need to develop his game awareness to cut it at the very top level – he has a habit of not scanning well enough when he picks up the ball and can give it away softly by failing to spot an opponent who can take it off him or cut out a pass. His short-range passing stats are somewhat concerning for a midfielder, and he gives the ball away with short passes almost one time in five. He’s only 19, so a propensity towards cheap giveaways is understandable, but should serve as a warning that he is far from the finished article as it stands.
The finished article could be something special though. He carries the ball supremely well, has an eye for a defence-splitting pass and could be a superb link-up player between midfield and attack, especially if he starts scoring on a consistent basis. United have apparently already had a bid of around €10m for him rejected, but they may opt to have another look deeper into the window.
Defensive Midfield depth
When Manchester United forked out £70 million to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid last summer, more than a few eyebrows were raised. Yes, they were investing in a serial winner with bags of experience, but they were also handing a four-year contract to a 30-year-old who was targuably already past his peak.
A slow start to life in England only gave extra fuel to critics of the deal, but Casemiro gradually proved his worth. The Brazilian played a vital role in ending the club's six-year trophy drought, and has also been colossal during their push for a return to the Champions League.
Ill discipline has overshadowed his contribution at times, but he has generally done a great job of plugging a gap in midfield that has been a problem for United throughout the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Casemiro is aggressive, strong and hard-working, and his tenacity has helped to drive Erik ten Hag's side forward.
Maintaining that level of performance is difficult for any player, especially in a team that is competing across multiple different fronts, and even more so as Casemiro continues to age into his 30s after so having so many games under his belt at a young age. I have no doubt he can maintain his abilities for a few more great seasons, but it would be wonderful for the club to be able to rotate him, prolong the time we have him at his peak, and bring through an understudy to learn from him.
If you’re a regular visitor to my Twitter, or have been a subscriber to the Occasional Opinions page for a while now, you know who I’m about to mention.
Fabrício Díaz - Liverpool FC de Montevideo - Release Clause €10m
My love for this young man as a footballer is well documented. In my last edition of Shopping for Ten Hag, I gushed about Fabrício Díaz.
I’m not going to run back over the same detailed points here. Everything that I said about him back then is still true of him today. I wholly recommend you give the piece a read through.
What I’m instead going to do is just give you the finer points about him.
2,370. 2,212. 2,273.
The lottery numbers for tonight? Nostradamus-like predictions for the years in which catastrophic disasters will happen on Earth?
No.
That’s how many minutes Fabricio Diaz has played in each of his last three full seasons for Liverpool FC in Uruguay’s Primera División since his debut when he was literally a child. Diaz made his professional debut at 16 and has not just been a staple at the base of midfield for his team ever since, he’s been an absolute must.
With a good mix of physicality, defensive range, progressive dribbling and connective passing, there’s a reason why Diaz has played so much at such a young age. He’s not a game-changing on-ball presence yet, but he’s already improved dramatically from age 16 to age 20, and he’s sure to get there. Give him two years being mentored by a player like Casemiro, and we could be seeing the next big thing in world football. Even if he doesn’t get the mentorship, no matter where he goes, this boy is going to be a star.
He led the Uruguayan U20 team in the U20 World Cup this summer, earning himself a tonne of notoriety that he had not previously been afforded in the process.
In January he had just three photos of him playing football for Liverpool that I could find online. Two of them were very grainy. One had a Liverpool FC crest plastered onto the corner.
By the end of the U20 World Cup, Díaz had amassed 31 key passes, a tournament-best, and also lead the table of most chances created with 20, despite being employed exclusively as a lone defensive midfielder. He was in every team of the tournament selection. And photos were no longer an issue. The one I’ve attached above? That’s him lifting the U20 World Cup for his nation.
This lad’s the real deal. Get him signed up before somebody else does.
Striker
It wasn’t hard to predict that Manchester United would struggle for goals this season. In fact, one of the biggest questions was where their goals would come from in the side’s first season under Erik ten Hag
Entering the season the club had two recognizable strikers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial. The former was past his best days and was never going to mesh with the playing style of the new coach. He was doing everything possible to move away from the club. The latter was a player with the potential to score 20 goals in a season while creating even more for his teammates but was more often frustrating than thrilling and even more often than that simply unavailable due to injury.
Halfway through the season Ronaldo left and United brought in Wout Weghorst on loan as a short term replacement. Weghorst had been a goalscorer in his mid 20s, but had only scored 16 league goals for three different clubs over the last three seasons. Needless to say, no one was expecting much more than that from him.
Manchester United have scored 48 non-penalty goals this season from a non-penalty xG of 58.1 (plus two own goals). This -10.1 underperformance is the second worst in the league. Inefficiency in front of goal has fans clamoring for a classic no. 9. A fox in the box. Someone who gets on the end of chances and finishes them. Sign one of those and at the very least you’ll add 10 goals just from the finishing balancing out with the xG.
In a summer where United desperately need to spend big in other positions, and in a case where the current market for top strikers will be far better in upcoming windows (Harry Kane, for example, will most likely be available on a free transfer next summer), now may be a time to bring in just a good quality striker rather than the best of the best.
I know just the man.
(I was going to add Marcus Thuram to this list too, as he was available on a free transfer, but while writing it was confirmed that Inter Milan had signed him. A huge miss on United’s part.)
Mehdi Taremi - FC Porto - €20m
The Persian striker began his development at Bargh Bushehr’s Academy in 2002 at the age of 10. He moved to Iranjavan Youth Academy at the age of 14 in 2006 before moving to Shahin Bushehr, a military club to commence his professional career as a footballer at the age of 18.
He made 7 appearances for the club, scoring only one goal before moving to Iranjavan in the summer of 2013. He was handed the #9 Shirt at the club and went on to score 12 goals in 22 games for the club, making him the second-highest goalscorer in the Iranian league at the time.
Taremi’s goalscoring form continued when he moved to Persepolis where he scored 53 goals in 105 appearances before moving to Qatari club Al-Gharafa at the age of 27, his first time ever stepping foot out of his native Iran, where he would go on to score 20 goals in 38 matches before moving to Rio Ave for his first stint of European Football.
The Iranian striker made an instant impact at Vila de Conde, scoring a hat-trick in his first Primeira start against Aves. The following week, he won three penalties — all of which were conceded by Sebastián Coates — to lead Rio Ave to a 3-2 victory against Sporting.
This would set the tone for his season — Taremi scored a total of 21 goals and 2 assists in 37 appearances to lead Carlos Carvalhal’s side to a fifth-place finish. Taremi left Rio Ave and joined Porto for €4.5 million, looking to provide firepower to a side that had just won the domestic double.
Taremi delivered on expectations by racking up 23 goals and 18 assists in 2020/21, 26 goals and 17 assists in 2021/22, and finished 2022/23 with an incredible 31 goals and 14 assists. And he’s available for around €20m. An outrageous bargain.
Taremi stands 1.87 meters and marries his aerial presence with a cunning goal instinct in a similar vein to Ruud van Nistelrooy, Edin Dzeko, Karim Benzema or Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He is a technically gifted footballer with a superb finishing ability and a physicality that allows him to hold off defenders, and his link-up play allows him to drop deep and pick out teammates with superb passes.
At Rio Ave, Taremi would play as a lone center forward, and while his responsibility was predicated upon scoring goals, he had the ability to drop to either flank and use his strong right foot to link up with players or find the back of the net from dangerous positions.
He’s very capable of dropping deep into the midfield, opening himself up for the option of receiving a pass while on the shoulder of the final man, and attacking open space.
At Porto, he’s impressed as the strike partner of Evanilson in a 4-4-2 rather than playing as a lone striker in a 4-3-3 at Rio Ave. He’s still played several games up top by himself, but these games in a 4-4-2 have shown he has some excellent abilities when switching with the wide man on the left side, playing in intelligent passes behind the defence for runners or whipping shots or crosses in from the left to his strike partner or left winger. This will obviously be welcome news for United fans, knowing that should Taremi come in, he won’t dampen the incredible form Macus Rashford was in last season. Arguably, he’ll only add to it.
So those are my proposals for Manchester United-centric bargain buys for this summer. Adding all of them to the first team would go a long way to solving the many issues the team currently faces going into the 2023/24 season. The total cost for all of these players would be around €60m. Each one an excellent investment.
Let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions, feel free to send them on.
Until next time.
Good read, definitely a few picks here I haven’t heard of before today. If only Man Utd were creative enough in the market to get quality profiles regardless of their popularity.
One day we will be a proper run club, we can dream. When we have the funds we can go big, when we don’t we must do what’s right by finding the right fit and not getting players in simply for the sake of it especially when they’re not stylistic fits for the manager.