Erik ten Hag now has five of his former Ajax players at Manchester United

Erik ten Hag has received criticism for his commitment to reuniting with his former Ajax players and favoring Dutch talent. Since joining Manchester United in 2022, ten Hag has recruited members of his 2018-2019 Ajax team each summer.

Antony and Lisandro Martinez were the first to follow him to Northern England, joining in the same summer he signed with the club. Martinez instantly made an impact before his second season with the team was derailed by injuries. Antony has yet to live up to the $95.2 million price tag Man United shelled out for him.

In his second summer, ten Hag recruited Andre Onana from Inter Milan. Onana was ten Hag's goalkeeper during his time at Ajax. Of course, the veteran manager brushed off the criticism by pointing at Onana's distribution and ability to control play from the back. Despite a shaky start in Manchester, Onana became prominent throughout the season, proving himself to be a top-level goalkeeper. However, he must reduce his mistakes in his second year with the team.

That brings us to this summer when ten Hag has once again sought to team up with former players. Man United is on the brink of completing a double-signing from Bayern Munich. Matthijs de Ligt is reportedly costing United $49.5 million, while Noussair Mazraoui's fee is estimated to be around $16.5 million.

He has also recruited several Dutch talents during his tenure at the club, with Joshua Zirkzee the latest through the door. As such, ten Hag must begin producing results. Man United has given him everything he could ask for in terms of playing staff. He has acquired multiple talents that know his system and his preferred style of play.

The goal for the upcoming season must be to return to the Champions League. Anything less than a top-four finish will undoubtedly be deemed a failure, especially after United spent a total of $321 million on transfers this summer.

As such, ten Hag must ensure United hits the ground running next season if he wants to avoid his transfer policy being put back under a microscope.