Manchester United opted not to dip into the market to strengthen their first-team squad during the recent January transfer window as they did not make a single signing.
The Red Devils have kept their power dry ahead of the summer but did decide to part ways with a number of players on loan deals last month.
Hannibal, Facundo Pellistri, Donny van de Beek, and Jadon Sancho were among those who had temporary moves sanctioned, whilst Sergio Reguilon was sent back to Tottenham Hotspur after his spell at Old Trafford during the first half of the season.
Jadon Sancho's falling out with Erik Ten Hag
Sancho's position at United appeared to become untenable after a breakdown in the relationship between him and Erik ten Hag, which led to his loan move to Borussia Dortmund ahead of the second half of the campaign.
The England international was reportedly unhappy that some players, namely Antony, were being selected ahead of him in spite of their – in his eyes – underwhelming performances.
Ten Hag claimed that it was up to Sancho whether or not he would return to the fold after a public disagreement between the two parties, and his loan exit suggests the forward decided not to work his way back into the manager's plans.
The club did not move to sign a replacement for the winger but they may have already fumbled a dream upgrade on him when they sold Anthony Elanga to Nottingham Forest last summer.
United decided to move the Sweden international on for a reported fee of £15m as the Tricky Trees beat off competition from Everton to secure his signature.
The 21-year-old whiz's impressive performances in the Premier League this season, in contrast with Sancho and Antony's struggles, suggest that ten Hag had a howler with that decision.
Antony's struggles this season
Some of the now-Dortmund star's concerns over the Brazilian's minutes on the pitch in comparison with his output in front of goal had some credibility.
The former Ajax gem has made 19 appearances and been selected as a starter in 11 matches in the Premier League so far this season, yet he has not provided a single goal or assist.
Antony has zero goals from 1.49 xG and this suggests he has been wasteful in front of goal. However, the left-footed flop has produced 1.48 xA, which indicates that his teammates have let him down at times.
If his fellow attackers had performed in line with the quality of chances the 23-year-old dud provided them with, then he would still only have zero goals and one assist in 19 outings.
That is not an impressive return in the final third for the £80.75m signing from Ajax, who managed four goals and two assists in 25 matches last season.
In total, Antony has produced one goal and one assist in 25 games in all competitions so far this term, and Elanga has shown far more quality for Forest.
Anthony Elanga's breakout season at Forest
The 21-year-old dynamo, who was once described as "electric" by Paul Robinson, was only handed five starts out of his 16 Premier League appearances for United last season.
He did not have regular game time to develop and find his rhythm on the pitch and it could be argued that the Red Devils missed a trick when they opted not to loan him out for the 2022/23 campaign to play week-in-week-out ahead of a return last summer.
Instead, they rarely used Elanga and then sold him to Forest, where they are now seeing him benefit and thrive from regular minutes in the top-flight.
The Swedish wizard has racked up five goals, six assists, and nine 'big chances' created in 16 Premier League starts for Forest, which is a return of one goal or assist every 1.45 starts on average.
This means that the former United starlet has 11 more goal contributions than Antony in the league this season, and nine more in all competitions.
Elanga currently ranks within the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers within the division for assists (0.35) per 90, and the top 16% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.29) per 90.
This suggests that he has been a fantastic creator for his teammates on the flank to go along with ruthless finishing in front of goal, as the young sensation has five goals from an xG of 4.0.
Overall, the former United prospect has showcased his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals consistently this season, which suggests that he could have been a dream upgrade on Sancho.
Jadon Sancho's struggles at United
The former Manchester City prospect's struggles came on and off the pitch before his return to Dortmund on loan during the January transfer window.
Sancho started this season with zero goals and zero assists in three top-flight appearances before his falling out with ten Hag, and that came after an underwhelming 2022/23 campaign.
The 23-year-old gem, who chipped in with three goals and three assists in 29 Premier League outings during his first season at Old Trafford, failed to deliver outstanding quality in front of goal on a consistent basis.
Starts
21
16
Goals
Six
Five
Assists
Three
Six
Big chances created
Six
Nine
Duel success rate
38%
44%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Elanga's current performances for Forest are more impressive than what Sancho managed as a fairly regular starter for United last term.
In five fewer starts, the Tricky Trees magician has already produced two more goal contributions, and created three more 'big chances' than the English winger racked up in the whole of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
This suggests that Elanga, on current form, could have been a dream upgrade on Sancho for United if they had persisted with him and offered the young talent more opportunities to play regularly.
It would have been an ideal scenario for the Red Devils as it would have been a solution to their problems from within the club, and they would not have had to dip into the market, as they might have to in the summer to find upgrades on Antony and Sancho.
United supporters may now continue to watch Elanga's superb displays for Forest in the top-flight this season and wonder what could have been.
