Erik ten Hag arrived as Manchester United boss in May 2022 and the club have sold 17 players in that time, but how are those stars fairing in 2024?
The Dutchman’s first season in charge was an undeniable success as the club finished third in the league and won the EFL Cup along the way.
Things have taken a downward spiral this season, but Ten Hag still backs himself as the man to turn things around heading into next season.
We’ve taken a closer look at the 17 Man Utd players who have been sold during Ten Hag’s tenure and have checked out what they are up to these days.
Note: we have only included players who made at least one senior Premier League appearance for the club on this list.
Edinson Cavani
Having barely featured for United in the 2021–22 campaign, Cavani left the club in the summer of 2022 upon his contract expiring.
He enjoyed a short stint with Valencia before then joining Boca Juniors last year. In 29 appearances for the Argentine club, the 37-year-old has bagged 12 goals so far.
Jesse Lingard
Lingard was first picked up by the United academy when he was just seven years old and after spending over two decades at the club, he was shown the exit door upon Ten Hag’s arrival.
He struggled to showcase his best form during his spell with Nottingham Forest and he’s moved to South Korea to play for FC Seoul.
The move to Asia hasn’t gone swimmingly either. The 31-year-old was publicly criticised by FC Seoul’s head coach, Kim Gi-dong for a lack of effort and he’s set to miss the rest of the season through injury.
Juan Mata
Following some short stints with Galatasaray and Vissel Kobe, Mata now finds himself on the free agents market. He’s not the only former Premier League star without a club these days either.
READ: A ridiculously talented XI of former Premier League players currently without a club
Nemanja Matic
Since leaving Old Trafford behind in 2022, Matic hasn’t stuck around in one place for long. Following stints with Roma and Rennes, the 35-year-old now plays for Lyon.
The Serbian midfielder has looked the business since moving to Lyon as the French club have won 10 of the 13 matches that he’s featured in since January.
Paul Pogba
Shortly after Ten Hag’s arrival at Old Trafford, Pogba was packing his bags and returned to Juventus on a free transfer.
Unfortunately, it’s not been a great few years for the Frenchman. Upon his return to Italy, he spent the first year and a half on the treatment table and he’s since been handed a four-year ban after being found guilty of doping.
Andreas Pereira
Sensing his first-team opportunities were going to be limited at Old Trafford, Pereira made the right decision to leave when he did. The club banked a decent amount of money for him and he’s been thriving at Fulham since.
After enjoying an eye-catching debut season at Craven Cottage, the Brazilian has been amongst Fulham’s most productive players once again. In the Premier League, he’s produced seven assists this season which only Bruno Fernandes has matched in the entire United squad.
Tahith Chong
After joining Championship outfit Birmingham City, it didn’t take long until Chong found himself back in the top flight. Following a successful debut season at St. Andrews, Premier League newcomers Luton Town snatched him up in the summer.
The attacking midfielder has produced some moments of quality too, scoring four league goals for Rob Edwards’ side so far.
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James Garner
United fans had high hopes for Garner but when Everton came in with a £15million bid, the deal was deemed too good to turn down.
After an indifferent debut season at Goodison Park, he’s since established himself as one of Everton’s most consistent performers.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Scoring goals for fun and earning a King’s ransom while doing it? It’s safe to say that Ronaldo has done alright for himself since leaving Ten Hag and United behind.
READ: 10 great players Cristiano Ronaldo has outscored since turning 30: Rooney, Drogba, RVP…
Phil Jones
Jones didn’t play a single minute of football under Ten Hag and he was released last summer upon his contract expiring. While he’s yet to officially announce his retirement, the defender has been focusing on his coaching career in the meantime.
The 32-year-old has been working on his UEFA coaching A Licence at Man Utd and he’s also enrolled on the PFA’s global football sport directorship course.
Axel Tuanzebe
That performance against PSG away will forever live long in the memory. After being let go by United, the 26-year-old has since been turning out for Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town.
David de Gea
From winning the Premier League Golden Glove to spending a year without a football club, it’s been a funny old ride for De Gea of late.
While the Spanish shot-stopper has been linked with plenty of clubs since his departure from Old Trafford, he still finds himself on the free agents market to this day.
He seems to have kept himself in good shape while spending time away from the game and a return to action next season is surely on the cards for the 33-year-old.
Alex Telles
The Brazilian full-back made the switch from Old Trafford to the KSU Stadium in the summer as he penned a two-year deal with Saudi outfit Al-Nassr.
Unsurprisingly, he’s looked the business in his new surroundings and has produced eight goal contributions across all competitions in 2023-24.
Anthony Elanga
The Swedish winger never got much of a chance under Ten Hag, but he’s certainly shown his class since joining Nottingham Forest in the summer.
In the league alone, he’s produced 13 goal contributions this season and has been playing the best football of his career to date.
“Was Ten Hag the reason I left United? No, I wouldn’t say that. I just wanted to play, that was especially important to me,” Elanga told SoccerNews.
“I’m young and I don’t want to sit on the bench all season, you know? When you’re young you want to play, you want to make mistakes, you want to take risks. But he wasn’t the reason for my leaving. There I mainly focused on myself, not on others.”
Fred
Following five years at the club, Fred was shown the exit door in the summer. He’s since joined Fenerbahce and on the whole, he’s impressed in his new surroundings.
In the Turkish Super Lig, he’s averaged a goal contribution every 241.8 minutes which is decent going.
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Dean Henderson
After United fans had spent years debating who was the better goalkeeper between Henderson and De Gea, both of them ended up leaving in the same summer.
He’s had to fight for his place in the Crystal Palace side but has had a string of decent performances of late with clean sheets against the likes of Man City and Newcastle.
Eric Bailly
The injuries that plagued Bailly’s Man Utd career have continued to haunt him this season. He originally signed for Besiktas upon leaving United, but his contract in Turkey was abruptly terminated in December.
He’s since returned to Villarreal, although hasn’t featured for the club since February after sustaining a muscle injury.
