Seven men are now responsible for recruitment at Manchester United

"It is natural in the human nature to work with somebody you’ve worked with previously in all contexts, in all business contexts," Dan Ashworth explained in the Old Trafford boardroom earlier this month.

"I'm sure you guys have all done it as well. That is a natural sway because you know that person, because you know that player."

In nearly 50 years, the only Manchester United manager who did not sign a player he had previously managed is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Jose Mourinho reunited with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Nemanja Matic, Louis van Gaal coached Daley Blind and Memphis Depay at international level and had Sergio Romero at AZ Alkmaar.

READ MORE: Ronaldo is a familiar issue United now have to deal with

READ MORE: How United now compare themselves with City, Liverpool and Arsenal

David Moyes brought Marouane Fellaini to these shores, Jim Leighton followed Alex Ferguson south of Hadrian's Wall, Ron Atkinson coaxed Remi Moses and Bryan Robson from West Brom after Dave Sexton and Ray Wilkins got together again in Manchester.

Erik ten Hag has an unrivalled track record. Lisandro Martinez, Antony, Andre Onana, Sofyan Amrabat, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui all played under him in the Netherlands. He also looked to sign Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch, Jurrien Timber, Sergino Dest and Hakim Ziyech. It would make a decent Ajax XI.

But maybe not at United. Ten Hag clarified last year, "We will never play the football we played at Ajax here." Yet he has assembled a growing Ajax tribute act that the Amsterdam club's X account made light of last month. "Manchester is red," it posted following the De Ligt and Mazraoui deals, accompanied by a winking emoji.

Ashworth reminded us that Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte are not