Tim Sherwood urges Manchester United to replace two Erik ten Hag signings

Tim Sherwood believes two of Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford signings should be ‘nowhere near a Manchester United shirt’.

Ten Hag welcomed a number of players to the Theatre of Dreams during his disappointing two-and-a-half-year reign as United manager.

Ex-Tottenham boss and Premier League player Sherwood says two – Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte – are not up to the standard to play for Manchester United.

United spent almost £40m to sign Zirkzee from Bologna in 2024 but the Netherlands international has largely struggled at Old Trafford, scoring just five league goals.

Zirkzee was heavily linked with a move away from United during the January transfer window but caretaker manager Michael Carrick was reluctant to deplete his squad for the rest of the season.

Ugarte has been another big-money disappointment, having struggled to cement a place in United’s starting XI since his £50m move from PSG in the same summer.

The Uruguayan was linked with a move to Turkey in January and is expected to be sold in the summer after another underwhelming season in Manchester.

The two Ten Hag signings are not the only players Sherwood has criticised,with Benjamin Sesko another who the former Premier League manager has doubts over.

Sesko, a £74m signing from RB Leipzig, endured a miserable start to his United career but has scored four goals in five games since Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

‘Is Benjamin Sesko the answer for Manchester United up front? The jury is still out for me,’ Sherwood told Casinostugan. ‘On the evidence of what we saw under Ruben Amorim, I wouldn’t be sure about him.

‘But he wouldn’t be alone in that. Manuel Ugarte would be another one. Joshua Zirkzee would be another as well. I could go on and on. None of them should be anywhere near a Manchester United shirt.

‘But Sesko is still only a young man and he’s got a few goals now against Burnley, albeit they’ve already got one foot in the Championship, and he’s come on and scored the winner against Fulham, so there’s something there.

‘Michael’s just got to get it out of him. I don’t think United can play like they have done in the first half of games under Carrick if Sesko starts. He won’t give him as much as Mbeumo does out of possession because he’s not as dynamic.

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‘He’s a little bit one-paced without the ball but there’s not a problem. He just completely changes how United would have to play without the ball but they might want to change.

‘Michael is flexible. If Sesko starts, it completely shifts the way they would have to play out of possession because he won’t press like Mbeumo does.

‘I still think he’s growing as a player too and if he can settle into the environment, because he is at the biggest club in the world, you just don’t know what he will be able to produce.

‘If he is happy to play as a super sub and can come to it with that attitude then that’s fine.’

Manchester United secured their fourth successive victory under caretaker manager Carrick on Saturday, beating ten-man Tottenham 2-0 thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes.

Four straight wins leaves United fourth in the Premier League and on course to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2023-24.

The in-form Red Devils visit relegation-battlers West Ham on Tuesday night before facing Everton next weekend.

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