Manchester United are five months into the season and it's the perfect opportunity to assess how the past summer arrivals have fared. The Red Devils are in another period of transition after sacking Erik ten Hag and replacing him with Ruben Amorim in November.
It feels as though INEOS' first major slip up was not relieving Ten Hag of his duties in the summer. They listened to fan noise over the Dutchman because he guided the team to an unlikely FA Cup triumph, forgetting the worst-ever Premier League campaign of an eighth placed finish.
Ten Hag was backed in the summer transfer window with five new signings and this led to a net spend of £93.8 million. We look at how all five of those signings have performed first under Ten Hag and then under Amorim and whether INEOS got their recruitment right.
Manchester United Summer Signings Rated
Joshua Zirkzee (£36.5 million) - 3/10
The Dutch forward arrived at United off the back of an impressive campaign with Bologna in Serie A. The 23-year-old bagged 11 goals in 34 games, helping the Italian outfit qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
The Red Devils were crying out for a proven goalscorer so there were already concerns over Zirkzee's arrival. He looked to have allayed such fears when he struck a winner on his debut in a 1-0 win over Fulham.
However, Zirkzee has spiralled since that game which came on the opening day of the season. The Netherlands international has been poor regularly in possession while not putting up goalscoring numbers the club require. He's managed three goals in 20 Premier League games.
Fans were wrong to give Zirkzee jeers at Old Trafford when Amorim subbed him off in the first half of a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle. But he's been a disaster for the most part and not all of that is his fault as the recruitment team need questions asked of them regarding why a more proven goalscorer wasn't targeted.
Leny Yoro (£52 million) - 6.5/10
It's hard to judge Leny Yoro because the French defender has missed most of the season due to injury. The 19-year-old arrived from LOSC Lille after the Red Devils beat Real Madrid to his signature. His stock was sky-high, and many viewed him as the Kylian Mbappe of defenders in French football.
However, Yoro's United career got off to the worst imaginable start when he sustained a serious foot injury in a pre-season friendly against Arsenal. He returned in November and has been gradually phased into the first team and has rarely put a foot wrong.
Yoro looks tidy in possession, athletic and strong in the air. His tackle on Darwin Nunez in United's 2-2 draw with Liverpool gave fans a glimpse of just how formidable he could be for the club in the present and the future.
Noussair Mazraoui (£12.8 million) - 9/10
Manchester United's signing of the season has undoubtedly been Noussair Mazraoui. The Morrocan right-back has filled in at left-back, wing-back, central defense and even as a number 10. He can do it all and he's even playing his way into a potential Premier League Team of the Year spot at right-back.
The 26-year-old replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka whose defensive abilities have always been held in high regard at United. Mazraoui doesn't just have equally as reliable tackling abilities but he's better going forward, always looking to make something happen in and around the box.
Amorim said Mazraoui is 'the future' of United, which is huge praise but deserved because he's playing with desire and a never-say-die attitude. He's been the best recruitment, and Bayern Munich must be kicking themselves for losing him for such a low fee.
Matthijs de Ligt (£42.9 millon) - 5.5/10
Matthijs de Ligt has spent most of his career linked with Manchester United and he finally made the move Old Trafford in the summer. The Dutch defender arrived from Bayern alongside Mazraoui but it's fair to say he hasn't quite matched his longtime teammate's brilliance.
The 25-year-old has actually fared well for the most part and criticism over his displays have come because of one or two mistakes. When he's good there's no word of this because he's been consistently solid at the back.
English media have been steering clear of blaming English talent for United's plight this season. Players like De Ligt have largely been scapegoated as a result but his demeanour doesn't seem to be affected by the negativity over him. That said, his price was quite steep given the performance thus far.
Manuel Ugarte (£42.2 million) - 7.5/10
Manuel Ugarte had to wait until Amorim's arrival to show fans why United were eager to sign him last summer. The Uruguayan immediately garnered scrutiny when he arrived at Old Trafford, sections of the fanbase questioned the club's final acquisition on deadline day.
The 23-year-old had lost his place in Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain team. His tough-tackling and brute-like playing style has been on display now that Amorim has replaced Ten Hag. He plays with his heart on his sleeve, constantly hassling the opposition and even putting together some nice passing displays.
Ugarte is going to be crucial for Amorim in further implementing his brand of football at Old Trafford. He's the gladiator who will do the dirty work while his former Sporting CP manager figures out a rebuild. This could turn out to be a signing that will go down as one of the most important in history.