Manchester United Transfer Review: Assessing United's 5 Summer Signings

Almost two months have passed since the summer transfer window closed, during which Manchester United added five new stars to their ranks.

And now, as we approach a quarter of the way through the season, we are beginning to acquire a better understanding of each player’s role within their new surroundings.

Some have been impressive, others less so, but the circumstance of each transfer was arguably very different, thus they should be evaluated in isolation and on an individual basis.

This article does exactly that, identifying United’s five summer acquisitions and discussing the extent of their impact at Old Trafford so far.

Shinji Kagawa

The Japanese playmaker arrived from German champions Borussia Dortmund with much promise, after an impressive 17 goals and 10 assists to his name last season.

In the early days of his Manchester United career, his signing is already looking like a very astute piece of business from Sir Alex Ferguson.

Though two goals and one assist from his opening six league games would appear a somewhat average return, such figures are not entirely reflective of his individual performances in the red of Manchester United.

Kagawa earned Man of the Match awards against Galatasaray in the Champions League and against Fulham in the Premier League, where he received rave reviews for “creating havoc” during United’s 3-2 win at Craven Cottage.

At 23 years of age, Kagawa is already looking like a sensible addition to the Manchester United squad, and could prove to be the club’s leading playmaker once the evergreen Paul Scholes decides to eventually hang up his boots.

Nick Powell

Just 18 years of age, Nick Powell joined United for an initial £3 million fee from League One new-boys Crewe Alexandra.

And despite his tender years, the youngster made a dream start to his Manchester United career by scoring just 11 minutes after coming on for Ryan Giggs in the 4-0 demolition of Wigan Athletic with an emphatic finish from outside the box.

Perhaps it’s too soon to expect such brilliant goals from Powell on a regular basis, as the Wigan appearance remains his only run-out for United so far.

But with time on his side, Powell’s eye for the spectacular could see him mount a push for a first-team place rather sooner than one may have first anticipated.

He is definitely a name for the future, and investing in him looks to have been well worth the risk thus far.

Robin van Persie

Of all of United’s summer signings, Robin van Persie has arguably performed the best.

Six goals in his first eight league games, and a further two in European competition, have proved that the Dutchman’s sparkling form for Arsenal last term was no one-off occurrence.

He has fitted into the team instantly, and quite frankly looks perfectly at home at Old Trafford.

At 29 there were some concerns that his days at the top could have been numbered, especially considering his woeful injury record.

But his early form has dispelled such worries, and Van Persie looks set to follow in the footsteps of some of United’s more illustrious Dutch stars of years gone.

If he can continue to find the net with such regularity, he may soon be remembered in even higher regard than his highly prolific compatriot, the great Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Alexander Buttner

Though not as high-profile as the arrival of fellow countryman Van Persie, Alexander Buttner’s transfer to Manchester United was arguably just as controversial.

The former Vitesse Arnhem left-back had reportedly agreed to sign for newly promoted Southampton, before having a complete change of heart and pulling the plug on the deal in favour of a bigger move to Old Trafford.

Like Powell, his only league appearance for the Red Devils this season came in the 4-0 win over Wigan, though his performance was equally as impressive. Buttner set up Javier Hernandez for United’s second, before getting in on the act himself with a determined solo effort.

Still only 23 years of age, Buttner could be set to remain at Old Trafford for the long haul. And based on what we’ve seen so far, he could be a very suitable replacement for the aging Patrice Evra as Manchester United’s first-choice left-back.

Angelo Henriquez

The youngest of the five summer arrivals, the Chilean forward joined from Universidad de Chile for an undisclosed fee, after United had first option on the player for four years previously.

The starlet shot to prominence after bagging 14 goals in 15 domestic games last term, as well as a further 14 in just nine appearances for his country’s under-20 side.

Henriquez’s chances at United have been rather limited though, and he is yet to feature for the first team in any competition. He did, however, score a goal on his debut for the club’s under-21 side, in a 4-2 victory over Newcastle United.

Perhaps his passage to the first team may be slightly more drawn out than that of the club’s other youngsters, largely due to the array of talent that United already boast in the attacking third.

With an eye on the future, though, this would appear to be another prudent signing by Ferguson, though his true impact should not be judged until further down the line.

Conclusion

Manchester United’s summer signings were something of a mixed bag, as Ferguson balanced young blood with more experienced talent.

The likes of Kagawa and Van Persie have already settled nicely into the team and are now key parts of the club’s system. For Powell and Henriquez, though, a regular starting berth may yet be a few years off, though they have both made positive starts to their careers at Old Trafford.

On the whole, Manchester United should be very happy with their summer dealings, and if certain stars can continue to perform as they have so far, the future looks very bright on the red side of Manchester.

Comment below with your own opinions on Manchester United’s summer arrivals, and whether or not you agree that it was a successful summer for the Red Devils.