Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United's good work in the transfer window has given Erik ten Hag a good foundation for success - but not just due to the quality of their new signings.
United have been active in the last few weeks of the window to take their spending to over £230million this summer, adding Casemiro and Antony to the earlier arrivals of Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez, as well as the free transfer of Christian Eriksen and the loan acquisition of Martin Dubravka.
Their ability to salvage some respectable deals after their long and failed pursuit of Frenkie de Jong has renewed optimism around Old Trafford, following back-to-back wins to finally kick-start the Ten Hag era. But most promising for ex-Red Devils defender Ferdinand, is that United have brought in the type of characters that can help the dressing room repair and thrive.
Speaking ahead of United's Premier League clash with Leicester on Thursday, Ferdinand told BT Sport: "One of the important things I heard when listening to Ten Hag was him saying he had good players, but he has brought in the right people, and character, personality are big parts of a successful teams make-up."
Ferdinand knows all too well how the figures in a dressing room can define a team's success, having played alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane, amongst others, during his time as a United player.
The feeling in United's dressing room has been a world away from those glory days, but Ten Hag's new signings look to have given his side that extra edge necessary to begin climbing back up the table and restoring their status as one of the Premier League's best.
Quizzed whether the huge financial outlay by United has added extra pressure on him, Ten Hag said this week: "No. I analysed the squad with a clear vision, but we were on one page from the first talks I had with the club.
"They also saw the same – which positions we definitely had to strengthen. I'm happy in those positions, we analysed the squad and succeeded in filling in with quality players. With the process, we had more options in several positions.
"We're really happy with the players we brought in, it gives us a good feeling. I think it’s a signal [of United's ambition] but I think all the big clubs in the Premier League spent a lot in the market."
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While United are happy with their incomings, they have also managed to keep hold of Ronaldo despite the forward's request to leave the club this summer. Ten Hag was always adamant that the 37-year-old had a part to play in his plans and reiterated that point ahead of the deadline.
“That's clear, of course,” said Ten Hag. “I just said we need quality players, and you need more to cover all the games, to keep the consistency going - that is what we strive for.”
