Erik ten Hag will be defined by his £164million Manchester United decisions

It can be difficult not to get carried away by the excitement of a new season. What happened in the past counts for nothing, and ahead of a new campaign, every team has the right to dream this could be their time.

Manchester United fans are no different, and they can be excused for feeling giddy with excitement after another summer of change in which it feels like forward strides have been made.

It is widely accepted that solid foundations have been laid under Erik ten Hag, and while things do feel noticeably different under the Dutchman, there is also an underlying concern that we've been here before.

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Only time will tell whether or not Ten Hag really is different from his predecessors and whether he has what it takes to fulfil the potential that they all failed to fulfil. The key to that will be his three summer signings, whose respective success could very well determine his own legacy at Old Trafford.

A year ago, expectations were much lower heading into the new season, and they only dropped after humiliating defeats in their first two matches.

Yet he was still backed handsomely in the transfer window. Last summer's spending of roughly £220million is still a club record across a single window, though it was offset somewhat by all the players they had lost on frees.

While he arrived at the club as somewhat of an unknown, there is now a relevant back catalogue of work to compare his efforts with, and a standard has been set that he must match at the very least.

This summer, the club warned that money would be tight but has agreed a fee of £64m, plus £8m in add-ons, for Rasmus Hojlund having previously suggested they would not pay more than