On January 17th, Beijing time, Manchester United made a comeback victory against Southampton in the Premier League. In the first half, Ugarte scored an own goal during a corner kick defense, leaving Manchester United trailing 0-1. However, Amad Diallo came to the rescue, scoring a hat-trick and helping the Red Devils secure a 3-1 win. While Solskjaer's signing of Diallo has brought joy to the fans, Ten Hag's introduction of the Danish striker has left them frustrated. In 8 games, Diallo has scored 0 goals and provided 0 assists, revealing his true form. Ten Hag seems to have made a mistake, with a £73.9 million investment going down the drain.
In early 2021, Manchester United signed Diallo from Atalanta for a transfer fee of 21.3 million euros. This season, with more opportunities, Diallo has exploded, scoring 9 goals and providing 7 assists by the halfway point of the season. He has performed exceptionally well against strong teams like Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool, becoming the first player to complete a hat-trick for Manchester United since Cristiano Ronaldo.
Similarly, both Diallo and Hojlund transferred from Atalanta to Manchester United, but while Diallo has shown incredible talent, Hojlund has increasingly disappointed United fans. In the match against Southampton, Hojlund completed only 2 key passes, had 1 shot on goal, successfully contested 2 out of 10 duels, touched the ball 17 times but lost possession 6 times, and was substituted by Zirkzee just 8 minutes into the second half. After Hojlund's substitution, Manchester United turned the game around.
Hojlund is quite active in the game, showing no lack of enthusiasm, but his positioning is often unreasonable, making it difficult for his teammates to pass to him. When receiving the ball with his back to the opponent, he frequently loses possession due to being tackled. His use of his body is lacking, and he tends to charge straight ahead in the game, raising concerns about his football IQ and rough footwork. Following the match against Southampton, The Manchester Evening News gave Diallo an 8 out of 10, the highest score within the team, while Hojlund received a disappointing 3 out of 10. In the 8 games Hojlund has played for Manchester United, he has not scored any goals or provided any assists.
During Ten Hag's tenure at Manchester United, the club's management has given him significant support in terms of transfers. In the summer window of 2023, Manchester United spent 50.2 million euros to bring in Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana, whose performance at Manchester United has been satisfactory. Mount, who joined Manchester United for a transfer fee of 64.2 million euros after his contract year at Chelsea, is now rarely seen due to injury. Hojlund's transfer fee is even more exorbitant at 73.9 million euros, making him the most expensive player in that summer window. At the time, Hojlund's market value according to Transfermarkt was 45 million euros, but Manchester United overpaid, resulting in a significant loss.