Ever since Erik ten Hag's arrival at Manchester United, the Dutch influence at Old Trafford has been keenly felt.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ten Hag brought in compatriot Mitchell van der Gaag as an assistant manager, while Steve McClaren, who Ten Hag had worked with at FC Twente, was also appointed as an assistant manager.

Van der Gaag is expected to depart, with McClaren's role set to be changed in a backroom reshuffle that will see them replaced by two more Dutchmen - former United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy, as well as Rene Hake.

Ten Hag has had heavy influence over transfers, too, and has brought in the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Antony and Lisandro Martinez direct from the Eredivisie, as well as Andre Onana, Sofyan Amrabat and Wout Weghorst whose senior careers began in the Netherlands, too.

While Martinez has been a success and Onana and Amrabat have shown their quality in patches, the jury is well and truly out on the rest of those acquisitions, while even before ten Hag's arrival, the PS39million signing of Donny van de Beek from Ajax has been an unmitigated disaster.

With Dan Ashworth appointed as the club's new sporting director, it is hoped United have learnt from the expensive lessons of their transfer past and focus on a more data-led approach to recruitment.

That being said, they have been linked with moves for more Dutch players this summer, namely Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee, who has a PS34million release clause and Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt, who could be available for around PS42million

So are United right to target more Dutch players? Or should they widen their recruitment scope because of the scars they have suffered in the past? Our Manchester United writers have offered their verdicts below.

Samuel Luckhurst In principle, signing a long-term striker from a big five league who has a release clause and a cut-price defender who is only 24 and played for three of the continent's biggest clubs is shrewd business.

The caveat is Ten Hag's preference for familiarity has not served United well in the transfer market. Lisandro Martinez has been his biggest success yet he has missed 50 games across two seasons through injury. Tyrell Malacia and Wout Weghorst were instinctive buys and the instinct was misguided. Andre Onana should get better in the long-term but Christian Eriksen was a short-term fix and something will have gone wrong if Antony remains at United for the long-term.

With United's new structure implemented, it is odd they are essentially carrying on regardless under a manager they had intended to sack until six weeks ago and whose trial period has been extended by a year with that one-year contract extension. De Ligt is a target based on his form five years ago, rather than his form in the last five years, and Zirkzee's profile is too similar to Rasmus Hojlund's. They're a similar age, both played in Italy and have modest goalscoring records. United need a more experienced striker to support Hojlund.

At centre half, they ought to be cannier than settling on a former Ajax defender and the prodigy down the East Lancs Road with a steep valuation. Jarrad Branthwaite would at least be bought specifically for the club rather than the manager.

Tyrone Marshall This is something that is probably best judged on a case-by-case basis but there is an obvious concern at the Dutch influence at Old Trafford when the Dutch manager could find himself under pressure at some point this season.

Ten Hag retains his veto over transfers but he isn't likely to have quite as much of an input as he did under the old regime. Yet for now the two leading targets are a Dutch forward a centre-back he coached at Ajax. They tick the familiar boxes.

In the case of De Ligt, this is a hard one to call. A fee of PS42m could quickly come to look like a bargain and the temptation for Ten Hag is clear. If he returns the 24-year-old to the performance levels he showed at 19 his value will double.

But Juventus sold him at a loss after three years and now Bayern Munich are willing to do the same after two. He's dropped significantly down the pecking order for the national team as well. The warning signs are there. Maybe Ten Hag is the man to restore his confidence, but it's undoubtedly a gamble.

Zirkzee is attractive because of his release clause, but he is behind Wout Weghorst for the Netherlands and is of a similar profile to Rasmus Hojlund. The question has to be whether United want a Hojlund clone, or a striker who offers a different kind of profile, both in terms of style and experience.

Amie Wilson The benefit of signing Dutch players under the guidance of Ten Hag will be that he is likely to have a slightly deeper insight on the player then he would do any other targets. That will especially be the case with Matthijs De Ligt with the two working closely together at Ajax.

Having a manager of the same nationality, as well as teammates will also help any new players settle into the squad more quickly when arriving at Old Trafford.

But, United have got to be careful of falling into the trap of signing players just because they are Dutch, and not because they are the best option available. Each player will have to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

With De Ligt he seems like a smart signing with a PS42 million fee not breaking the bank for a player who is only 24 years old and still has room to improve. He also played his best football under Ten Hag.

Zirkzee is highly rated but if he's the right man to come and provide competition to Rasmus Hojlund in the striking position is unclear. Both players are inexperienced, with United probably needing a more established striker.

Having Dutch players in and around the squad could be a benefit, for the reasons outlined above. But that shouldn't be one of the first things that United look at when selecting their transfer targets.