At the start of the summer, there was plenty of speculation over which players Erik ten Hag would sign at Manchester United.
The Dutchman had just arrived from Ajax and fans were desperate for him to improve their stuttering squad. United finished sixth in the Premier League the previous season and were in need of some serious investment to boost their hopes for the upcoming term.
Fast forward three months and United's summer business is all but done. But did Ten Hag sign his main targets? Here, Mirror Football takes a look at United's transfer shortlist at the start of the window to assess how productive they've been.
Declan Rice
Heading into the summer transfer window, everyone wondered if Declan Rice would be on the move. He was heavily linked with the Red Devils due to their need for a midfielder and was arguably the best player on the market thanks to his rise in recent years.
The England international, 23, had enjoyed another brilliant term with the Hammers - winning their Hammer of the Year award and earning a spot in the Europa League Team of the Season. Yet there was one thing standing in his way of a move - his huge price tag.
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West Ham were demanding £120million for a top-class player with two years left on his contract. In fairness to the Hammers, they had every right to do so. "I said in the summer that I thought Declan Rice was £100m," said David Moyes in February. "That was the sales, that was cheap, that was your chance to get Declan Rice cheap."
In the end, it was too much for United or any other club to pay. Rice remains a West Ham player and has become their skipper following the retirement of Mark Noble. Speculation over his future is guaranteed to return later this season.
Antony
For a long time, it seemed as if Ten Hag wouldn't bring Antony with him to Old Trafford. The Ajax winger, 22, scored eight goals and provided four assists in 23 Eredivisie games during the 2021/22 campaign - becoming a nine-cap Brazil international in the process.
Antony has undeniable talent, but Ajax's price tag seemed extreme. They were demanding a whopping €100m (£85m) for the player. In the end, United agreed to pay it and Antony became their fifth signing of the summer.
Ten Hag's significant investment in Antony is a gamble, yet he knows the player's game inside out and believes he can deliver in the Premier League. Only time will tell.
Jurrien Timber
Timber was another Ajax player who was tipped to join Ten Hag at Old Trafford. The Netherlands international, 21, was an important part of Ten Hag's team that won back-to-back Eredivisie titles during his last two years at Ajax, playing 50 league games.
Despite speculation, Timber decided against a move to United by signing a new three-year deal at Ajax. He even mocked the rumours, uploading a picture of himself at Ajax's training ground with the caption: "Still here tho [sic]." United fans were not impressed.
It's believed Timber's decision to stay at Ajax was influenced by former United manager Louis van Gaal. Reports claim the Dutchman, who is Timber's manager at international level, told him to avoid Old Trafford after his difficult two-year spell there.
Although Van Gaal was popular with fans, he was constantly linked with the sack and was eventually sacked in brutal fashion. United replaced Van Gaal with Jose Mourinho - his former assistant at Barcelona - just four days after he won the FA Cup. Ouch.
Lisandro Martinez
Another Ajax target (do United know that other clubs exist?), Ten Hag wanted to bring in Martinez to give United's defence a bit more steel. Known as the "Butcher of Amsterdam", the Argentine won the Dutch club's Player of the Year award for the 2021/22 campaign.
The 24-year-old was at the top of United's shortlist and it didn't take too long for them to get him through the door. Although they had to pay another premium fee - agreeing a £57m deal with Ajax - he arrived at Old Trafford in time for the start of the new season.
Martinez struggled in his first two games against Brighton and Brentford but has since adapted to the Premier League, putting in impressive performances against Liverpool and Southampton. It's perhaps too early to tell whether he's the real deal.
Darwin Nunez
It seems a long time ago since United were after Darwin Nunez's signature. The Red Devils wanted to sign the Uruguay international, 23, to add more firepower to their attack after his stellar season at Benfica, scoring 34 goals for the Portuguese giants.
Yet their pursuit of Nunez came to an end when Liverpool got involved. With the Merseyside club offering Champions League football and the chance to work with Jurgen Klopp, United had to watch him join their biggest rivals. A tough one for Ten Hag to take.
Still, United were spared the prospect of Nunez scoring the winner at Old Trafford when he was suspended for headbutting Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen the week before their meeting. Nunez was forced to watch on as United defeated Liverpool 2-1.
Frenkie de Jong
The transfer saga of the summer. United's main central midfield target was the Barcelona midfielder, who worked with Ten Hag at Ajax before joining the Spanish giants in July 2019. Yet their pursuit of De Jong, 25, ended up becoming a remarkable mess.
United agreed a transfer fee with Barcelona for De Jong in July, but they couldn't persuade him to move Old Trafford. The Dutchman was adamant his future lied at the Camp Nou and in the Champions League, with United only able to offer Europa League football.
"The only thing I know from Frenkie is that he wants to stay at Barca," said ex-Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman in June. "In fact, a couple of days ago he said that: 'I want to stay at Barca.' But I don't know if Barca want to sell Frenkie de Jong or if they just need the money - because I think he is one of the few players they have that has such a high price."
De Jong is also embroiled in a messy contractual dispute with his current employers, who owe him £17m in deferred wages. That made the transfer even more difficult, with Barcelona asking him to either take a pay cut or leave the club to ease their financial woes.
Chelsea were reportedly also interested in De Jong, yet nothing materialised. He remains a Barcelona player and is expected to agree a new contract in Spain. It's staggering that United put in all that effort i to get him, but missed out. A lesson to learn for the Red Devils.
