Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United have struggled in all competitions this season – with summer transfers Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana all receiving criticism

Erik ten Hag is struggling to get a tune out of Manchester United this season (Image: Getty Images)

Tim Sherwood believes Erik ten Hag should’ve signed Harry Kane and Declan Rice for Manchester United during the summer.

The Red Devils have endured a rotten season so far. They’re out of Europe, the Carabao Cup and went into their Boxing Day clash against Aston Villa eighth in the Premier League.

In comparison, Kane and Rice are both flourishing after completing summer transfers. Kane, 30, has scored 25 goals in just 22 games since his switch from Tottenham to Bayern Munich, while Rice, 24, is leading Arsenal’s title charge following his West Ham exit.

Although Kane (£100million) and Rice (£105m) both commanded huge price tags, Sherwood thinks United should have broken the bank to sign the England internationals. Ten Hag was given a huge budget during the summer, as he spent around £180m to sign Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Altay Bayindir and Jonny Evans.

Sherwood was asked by Sky Sports for his opinion on United’s woes before the Villa game. He said: “Why on Earth did they not push the boat out to sign Harry Kane?

“I know I sound like a broken record but players like Harry Kane and Declan Rice would have improved a lot of players at that football club and they would have made the manager look better as well. They have an idea of what they are doing on the pitch.”

Declan Rice and Harry Kane have both done well since their summer transfers ( Image: Getty Images)

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Sherwood believes United’s current squad “have just been thrown on the pitch” and thinks the club’s recruitment is “not good enough”. United have often taken a scattergun approach to transfers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retired as manager in May 2013.

The likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Angel Di Maria failed to live up to their billing after huge transfers to Old Trafford, while current stars Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial, Casemiro and Antony have arguably not done enough to repay their hefty fees.

Sherwood also took aim at Ten Hag by questioning whether he’s the right manager. He added: “I would have said two seasons ago that Tottenham needed a big clear out, but now they have a manager who is getting the best out of the individual players

“They can’t all leave. They need to get rid of someone. What Tottenham did was change their manager, and the manager they brought in (Ange Postecoglou) has been the right answer. That’s what’s got to happen at Manchester United. They need to change the man who is not getting the best out of the individuals on the pitch.”