Manchester United can't afford to repeat transfer mistake they made with Casemiro last summer

If Manchester United’s 2022 summer transfer window can be declared a success given the performances of the players involved, there is one area where improvements certainly can be made as this year’s transfer soap opera starts to dominate headlines.

The window has opened today and clubs are busy working on deals. Liverpool have already signed a World Cup-winning midfielder. The dream of every manager is to have players through the door early, giving them as much time as possible to build a team ahead of the start of the Premier League season on August 12.

Erik ten Hag is no different and he is a manager who can be demanding of his recruitment team, both in terms of the quantity of deals and the speed with which they are completed. United will return to training early in July, play their first pre-season friendly on July 12 and fly to the United States for a four-game tour on July 20.

At the very least, Ten Hag will want significant additions in place for America, which will include a week-long stay in San Diego, a training camp that will be vital to laying the foundations for next season.

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A year ago, football director John Murtough and his team delivered good players to Ten Hag, but their relatively late arrival might have partly influenced the slow start to the season. When United flew to Thailand and Australia last pre-season they had just one new face on board, in back-up left-back Tyrell Malacia.

Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez were signed mid-tour, but only linked up with their teammates when United returned to Carrington. That gave them less than two weeks and just one friendly to prepare for the start of the domestic season.

The deal to sign