The Debate: Which summer signing had the biggest impact?

Friday 30 June 2023 16:01

Manchester United's upcoming pre-season is rapidly approaching, with excitement building ahead of our 2023/24 campaign.

Erik ten Hag is set to take charge of his second term at Old Trafford and with the return of Champions League football on the horizon too, the anticipation is sky high.

Set to do battle on four fronts once again, the squad will once again be tested, with the conversation, as of late, naturally around who could be brought in to help ease the workload.

The Debate panel shared that very same thought in this week's episode, with one of the key topics discussed being which of Erik's summer signings from last year made the biggest impact overall.

The Debate: Who’s ready for 2023/24? Video

The Debate: Who’s ready for 2023/24?

🎬 The Debate | Journalists Laurie Whitwell and Ian Irving join the panel to discuss our kit, transfers and 2023/24…

MUTV pundit and former United forward Danny Webber couldn't pick between two players when posed the question, insisting both had their ups and the downs across last season.

''You're flipping a coin on [Lisandro] Martinez and Casemiro, as both of them brought something that made the level go a lot higher,'' began the 41-year-old.

''Not just from a footballing perspective, but from a grit, determination and a fighting perspective. They brought the warrior mentality back to the team.

''Martinez was criticised for being too small early on and just showed what a warrior he is. Casemiro then came in, and it was frustrating because he obviously got sent off twice in the middle of the season for doing what he does very well.''

Treble-winner Wes Brown was also of the same opinion regarding our recruitment last summer, amplifying how he feels every addition had different roles to play across the season.

''It's a tough one. I mean, for me, I'm going to stick with the defensive crew and I'll go Martinez,'' stated Brown.

''My mates would say Casimiro and they say [Tyrell] Malacia as well, as he's done well. [Christian] Eriksen obviously, on a free. There have been some good ones.

How did our signings do in 2022/23?

 Article

Erik ten Hag made some impactful acquisitions during his first two transfer windows as United boss.

''I think, last year, he [Erik] did really well and it sort of all worked out in every category, so they would probably stick to them,'' further added Wes.

''We know what Antony can do and we hope he does even more this season, his track record for the club is actually pretty good on signing players and trying to get the best out of them.

''Not every signing always works to how you want it but the ones he's brought in sort of got us to where we are this season, and that's by winning a trophy and getting us back into the Champions League.''

Recommended: