Erik ten Hag's dream Man Utd XI if he signs Frenkie de Jong as boss makes U-turn

Manchester United fans have been treated to plenty of action in the summer transfer window - but the Red Devils don't want to stop at just four new signings.

Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have all joined ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League season, setting United back at least £139.5million. That takes their spending under Erik ten Hag to a whopping £546m but the Dutchman - to no one's surprise - wants to spend even more before deadline day on August 30.

The goalkeeping department looks set in stone with Andre Onana holding a firm grip on the No.1 shirt while the defensive unit has been beefed-up thanks to two additions from Bayern Munich. With Mazraoui able to cover both full-back areas and De Ligt becoming United's sixth senior centre-back, it's unlikely that United will do any more recruiting in the rearguard.

Midfield, on the other hand, is a different story.

Just like at the very start of his Old Trafford reign, Frenkie de Jong appears to be Ten Hag's first-choice pick. The Barcelona star, who maintains that he's happy in Catalunya, was lined up to play alongside Casemiro back in 2022, with Ten Hag claiming that the pair would've acted as a double pivot.

"It would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro," Ten Hag told Sky Sports. "They would really be connected with each other. They would be really complementary to each other. That's a typical player, if you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player."

But that was then and this is now. 2024 has seen the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo as a nailed-on starter, so if Ten Hag was able to convince De Jong, it'd likely be at the expense of Casemiro. The Brazilian has had serious interest from Saudi Arabia and could command a lofty fee, but he'd be a fine rotation option if we were to stick around.

Speaking of Barcelona players, Brazil winger Raphinha has been tipped to join the Red Devils in recent days. With Jadon Sancho and Antony's futures both shrouded by speculation, Catalan newspaper Sport claim that United are keen on the ex-Leeds star.

Like De Jong, though, Raphinha reportedly prefers to stay with the La Liga giants, so he'd need persuading. Proven in the Premier League and boasting the kind off dynamism that gets the Old Trafford crowd off their seats, the prospect of the 27-year-old and Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford on each flank would be salivating for supporters - but scary for opposition full-backs.

In the centre, Bruno Fernandes will likely need to get used to more rotation over the course of the new campaign, especially if Red Devils sign Ivan Toney. The English striker has entered the final year of his contract but amid Brentford's demand for £60m, the Independent report that United could make an attempt to sign him on loan in the final days of the window.

A loan-to-buy offer could force Brentford's hand rather than them risk losing him for free in 2025, although it would give Ten Hag an even bigger headache for the striker role. Rasmus Hojlund showed promise last season but now he's got competition in Zirkzee.

The Netherlands international has described his playing style as a 'nine-and-a-half', a different profile to Hojlund and Toney. That gives Ten Hag greater flexibility, although he's rarely deviated from his 4-2-3-1 formation.

De Ligt, Mazraoui and Zirkzee could all get their debuts at home to Fulham on Friday, as United begin Ten Hag's third league campaign in charge. But with plenty of time until the window closes, the warm welcomes could continue into the autumn.