United great slams costly “gamble” under Ten Hag that has set the club back many years

Manchester United legend Jaap Stam has taken a swipe at the club’s transfer policy under Erik ten Hag, highlighting their tendency to sign mostly Dutch players who had previously worked with the former boss.

During Ten Hag’s tenure, United gained an infamous reputation for going after players who either hailed from the Netherlands or had experience playing in the Eredivisie. 11 of the 21 players Ten Hag brought to Old Trafford fell in this category, including the £86m swoop for Antony.

Two of these 11 players were loaned out by United in the January transfer window – Malacia and Antony.  Over the course of Ten Hag’s three summer transfer windows at United, the club spent approximately £386.7m on these 11 signings, with £337.05m paid upfront and an additional £49.75m in potential add-ons.

Time has shown that this strategy was deeply flawed. The majority of Ten Hag’s signings have failed to make the desired impact, leaving United stuck with players they can’t offload for a profit or, in some cases, can’t find suitable buyers for at all.

The massive spending spree under Ten Hag has also significantly hampered United’s financial flexibility this summer, even as it becomes increasingly evident that Ruben Amorim urgently needs reinforcements.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe slammed the transfer policy in a round of media interviews last month and now, Stam has echoed the INEOS billionaire’s sentiments.

Stam said [as quoted by Manchester Evening News], “I wouldn’t call it a mistake, but it’s definitely a gamble. Moving from Holland to the Premier League is a big step for a manager and hopefully Ten Hag understood the quality he’d be facing.”

“Bringing in players from the Dutch league, where the level of competition is not as high as the Premier League, is always a risk. These players need time to adapt to the league, to the intensity of English football, and to the quality of the opposition.”

“A lot of players struggle with that transition. And when you’re signing them for significant sums of money, expectations are naturally high. If they don’t meet those expectations, the pressure and criticism mount quickly for the players and the manager.”

“So I wouldn’t say it was a good choice to bring in so many players from Holland. Scouting and recruitment need to be precise. You have to be absolutely certain that the players you bring in can make a difference. If there’s any doubt, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.”

However, Stam expressed confidence that Matthijs de Ligt will come good at United.

De Ligt has enjoyed a solid debut season at United despite the team’s struggles. He is currently sidelined with an injury but Amorim revealed that he is close to a return.

Stam continued, “When De Ligt was at Ajax, he was very young when he broke into the first team. They played a familiar 4-3-3 system that he knew well from the Ajax academy. Playing in the Netherlands is also easier because the overall quality of the opposition isn’t as strong. That period was a great learning curve for him during his early years.”

“But moving to a different league, especially one as tactical and defensive as Italy, requires adaptation. The style of defending and the type of players around him were different, so naturally, expectations rose, and with that came some criticism.”

“Despite that, he played quite a few games in Italy and then later at Bayern as well. Sometimes the manager made different choices, playing (Dayot) Upamecano over him at the back, but that’s part of football. He’s no longer a young talent. You can’t call him that anymore. He needs to be established and performing consistently. Coming to United, he needed time to adjust to the Premier League and the quality of the opposition. But I think he’s been doing a decent job.”

United are back in action on Sunday when they go away to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth. Kick-off is at 14:00 BST.

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