N'Golo Kante offers transfer template but Manchester United must learn from past mistakes

Manchester United are hoping to bolster their squad ahead of next season, with several names tipped for moves to Old Trafford this summer. With Erik ten Hag set to experience his debut campaign in England, he will need proper support.

The Red Devils have been lured into a number of transfer traps over the years. Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the club have been somewhat bedazzled by stars before bringing those players to Manchester after their peak years of performance.

Some have prospered but the large majority have encountered difficulties or impacted the growth of the team. From Bastian Schweinsteiger to Angel Di Maria to Radamel Falcao, United have generally not benefited from acquiring the services of elite names.

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The blame shouldn't always be shouldered by the players involved. Sometimes coaches, tactics or injuries are responsible but regardless, United must avoid those issues if they are to present Ten Hag with a platform to challenge.

N'Golo Kante is one of the players who is currently linked with a move to Old Trafford but despite his undeniable status as a modern great of the Premier League, there is enough evidence to suggest that his signature should be avoided.

“I think he is our key player," said Thomas Tuchel recently, "but key, key players have to be on the pitch and he only plays 40% of games. He is our Mo Salah, van Dijk. He is our Kylian Mbappe.”

The words of the Chelsea boss capture Kante's problem at the moment. His contributions are extremely valuable, but he's not present enough to deliver on a regular basis.

He started 21 matches in England's top-flight this season, accumulating roughly the same amount of