Manchester United suffered a wholly forgettable 2023/24 campaign, miserable and misfiring. Actually, no they didn't. The Red Devils' last competitive fixture saw the FA Cup trophy lifted in emphatic fashion, with neighbours Manchester City defeated at Wembley.
For Erik ten Hag – vindication after a battery of year-long criticisms. A lifeline. The Dutch manager had been expected to be sacked before the final was contested, but the grit and doggedness of United's effort turned the tide. It was Ten Hag's second slice of silverware in as many seasons, and European football had been salvaged.
But let's not forget that silver-laden success has served as a smokescreen of sorts over a truly wretched campaign, one that left the Old Trafford side marooned in eighth place in the Premier League at its conclusion.
Injuries buffeted the Theatre throughout, and Ten Hag argues that such misfortunes precluded his team from reaching the heights anticipated – and still, FA Cup glory.
Premier League
38
18
6
14
Champions League
6
1
1
4
FA Cup
6
4
2
0
Carabao Cup
2
1
0
1
TOTAL
52
24
9
19
Now, Man United can start afresh, with INEOS orchestrating from the clouds above and a refreshing shift in recruitment seeing some exciting moves made in the transfer market. The £35m transfer of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna has been agreed, and an exciting partner is currently in the pipeline.
Man Utd transfer news
As per Football Insider, Man United are tussling with Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of Eberechi Eze, who completed an impressive campaign with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
United are long-term admirers of the attacking midfielder's talents and are actively seeking to strengthen under new ownership, with sights set on returning to the Champions League.
The Eagles' £50m sale of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich complicates things somewhat; there is no pressing need to cash in, but given that Eze has a £60m release clause in his contract, all it takes is Sir Jim Ratcliffe to green-light the outlay and complete a thrilling signing.
Eberechi Eze's season in numbers
Injury troubles have beset Eze throughout his Crystal Palace career but he's been an electric presence when fit, notching 43 goal contributions from 124 appearances since signing from Queens Park Rangers for £20m in August 2020.
The silky-skilled playmaker was particularly arresting in his performances last term, carrying the high-level form at the end of the 2022/23 campaign into Robert Glasner's maiden days at the helm.
Eze's first several months were punctuated by injuries but he came into his own under Glasner's wing, with the Austrian tactician replacing Roy Hodgson in February and shaping Palace into a force to be reckoned with.
Matches played
38
27
Matches started
30
24
Goals
10
11
Assists
4
4
Pass completion
82%
84%
Big chances created
6
7
Shots per game
1.9
3.1
Key passes per game
1.5
2.0
Dribbles per game
1.9
2.6
Ball recoveries per game
6.1
5.9
Duels won per game
5.0
6.1
Scoring six goals and supplying three more over just 11 matches with the Austrian in the dugout, the 26-year-old was a linchpin over those thrilling months, combining ball-carrying expertise with an ever-improving potency in front of goal.
His improvements last season suggest that the Three Lions star is entering his prime, which is a dizzying thought when considering how mighty he's been at Selhurst Park over the past couple of years.
Placed on the left wing, driving forward with sparks flying, Eze could prove to be the perfect partner for Zirkzee, who's already been added to the fold.
Imagine Eberechi Eze & Joshua Zirkzee
Zirkzee's transfer might not yet have been officially announced but it would take a remarkable development to stifle the move at this eleventh hour.
The Dutchman is a striker but plays a more withdrawn attacking role, driving from deep to influence and attack on goal. He's been described by analyst Ben Mattinson as "one of the most complete" strikers around.
As per FBref, the 6 foot 4 colossus ranked among the top 14% of forwards in Serie A last season for pass completion, the top 17% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 11% for successful take-ons and clearances and the top 22% for tackles per 90.
Eze, meanwhile, has demonstrated himself to be one of the deadliest attacking midfielders in Europe over this past year, ranking among the top 4% of positional peers for goals scored, the top 5% for shots taken, the top 19% for shot-creating actions and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.
Hailed for his "explosive" qualities by one first-team analyst, the Palace star is demonstrably one of the most effective strikers in the Premier League and offers an impressive roundedness to complement such a skill. Zirkzee's ball-playing acumen and knack to drop deep and impact play could lead to a wonderful connection between the two players.
In turn, Eze's playmaking prowess would pay dividends for the Bologna talent, who only scored 11 goals from 34 matches in the Italian top flight last term but, upon deeper analysis, can be observed to have one of the most clinical attacking outputs around.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, the 23-year-old only missed four big chances in the league last season, which speaks highly of his ability to find the back of the net when presented with an exciting opportunity.
Rasmus Hojlund, to expand on the point, scored ten goals from 30 Premier League matches for Man United last term but also missed 13 big chances – the talented Dane, 21, is one of the hottest forward prospects around but was starved for service last season, isolated and knocked from confidence, clearly issuing a detrimental effect on his prolificness.
Signing Eze would complete the Red Devils' frontline, creating a newfound sense of dynamism and depth to ensure that Ten Hag fires the club back into the ascendancy, once and for all.
Imagine him & Zirkzee: Man Utd hold talks to sign "magical" star
He is available for transfer this summer
ByJoe NuttallJul 12, 2024