Erik ten Hag can finally correct Manchester United midfield in transfer window

There have been more rebuilds of the Manchester United midfield than the squad in the last nine years.

Despite the Champions League final disasterclasses against Barcelona and lightweight surrenders at Anfield, in Sir Alex Ferguson's last six years as a manager he did not sign a single central midfielder. From the summer transfer window of 2013 to 2018, United bought a central midfielder in each one.

The wait ended with the £27.5million Marouane Fellaini, David Moyes's first signing on deadline night in 2013. It was a deal so farcical United paid £4.5m more as Fellaini's £23m release clause had expired a month earlier.

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United's Supermarket Sweep dash that Monday was so desperate a fan said they went to bed with United signing Fabio Coentrao and Fellaini staying at Everton. They awoke to read Coentrao had stayed and Fellaini had signed.

There were vain attempts to prise Daniele de Rossi from Roma and Sami Khedira from Real Madrid after Moyes had passed on Thiago Alcantara. It was the summer Cesc Fabregas led United down the garden path.

A year later, Louis van Gaal assembled a potential midfield triumvirate of Ander Herrera, Angel di Maria and Daley Blind at a combined cost of £102.5m. Your eyes may be watering. The trio started six times together in midfield.

Only Herrera was present in the middle third for United's sprightly spring run of six successive Premier League wins in a 4-3-3 formation, with Fellaini a unique asset and Michael Carrick anchoring expertly.

Van Gaal was still unsatisfied and United recruited Morgan Schneiderlin for £25m from Southampton in the summer and Bastian Schweinsteiger at an economical £6.8m. Inexplicably, Van Gaal