Rating Man United's top ten most expensive signings of all-time - including Everton bagsman and £89m ace
Man United’s top 10 most expensive signings and how they have fared
Manchester United have spent well over a billion pounds on their squad since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, and it’s fair to say that their investments more often than not haven’t gone to plan. United haven’t won a league title in 12 seasons and counting, and they are no longer at present a force to be reckoned with in Europe, having only progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League three times since Ferguson’s exit.
They are currently on their seventh different manager in this period, and this season not competing in Europe for just the second time since the ban on English teams was lifted in 1990. The last 12 years have been extremely difficult for United supporters but it’s not always been doom and gloom, after all they’ve still won five major trophies since Ferguson’s exit which is a tally few other teams in England can boast in that period.
With that in mind, we take a look at United’s top 10 most expensive players of all time and give them a rating on how they fared at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United’s top 10 biggest signings
10. Angel Di Maria: World Cup finalist Angel Di Maria joined the Red Devils for a British record fee of £59.7m after winning the Man of the Match in the Champions League final for Real Madrid. He hit the ground running with three goals in his first five games but failed to add to that tally before departing a year later for around £44m. For the figure paid at the time, fans expected a lot more. Rating: 4/10
9. Matheus Cunha: Brazil international Matheus Cunha joined Ruben Amorim’s side from Wolves over the summer after United agreed to pay his £62.5m release clause. He arrived with plenty of promise and enjoyed a fine performance in the 4-2 win over Brighton. However, it’s still too early to judge. Rating: n/a
8. Bryan Mbeumo: Big summer signing Bryan Mbeumo has added goals and assists to a United team that desperately needed a spark. It’s what fans would expect from a £71m footballer but it’s still very early days. Rating: n/a
7. Rasmus Hojlund: Erik ten Hag splashed out a reported £72m to bring youngster Rasmus Hojlund to the club from Atalanta. If you were judging him based off performances in Europe his contribution would be respectable. However, his performances in the Premier League haven’t looked like anything resembling a Man Utd standard striker and he’s currently on loan at Serie A side Napoli after a dismal campaign last year. Rating: 3/10
6. Benjamin Sesko: Man Utd beat Newcastle to the signature of Benjamin Sesko in a deal worth up to £73.7m after a long-drawn out transfer saga. He’s not yet hit his stride at Old Trafford and is still settling into his new environment. He’ll need to be at the club at least one full season before being properly judged. Rating: n/a
Man Utd’s dismal transfer record shown with top five signings
5.Romelu Lukaku: Man Utd spent a reported £75m to sign Everton forward Romelu Lukaku in 2017. The Belgian had proven himself in England over a number of seasons and was seen as a natural fit to Jose Mourinho’s team. He scored 16 league goals in his first campaign and 12 in his second before surprisingly being sold to Inter Milan for £74m after a dip in form. Overall, Lukaku didn’t hit the heights expected of him but his record at Old Trafford isn’t as bad as most remember it to be. Rating: 6/10
4. Jadon Sancho: Former Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jadon Sancho joined Man Utd in 2021 after years of rampant speculation linking him with a move to English football. He’d been one of the top performing players in the Bundesliga for a long time but never seemed to settle at Old Trafford. He had injury problems, a clash with Erik ten Hag and a series of underwhelming loan spells. They’ve never quite been able to offload him permanently as of yet, and he’s currently playing for Aston Villa on loan. Rating: 2/10
3. Harry Maguire: One of the most divisive names in this list. Harry Maguire joined Man Utd for £80m - marking a world-record for a defender at the time. He’s never lived up to the price tag of being one of the world’s best at club level but has captained the side and racked up more 250 appearances while scoring 17 goals. No player has had more ups and downs then Maguire at United but it’s fair to say he’s always given his all and has been a positive force of leadership in a challenging period. Rating: 6/10
2. Antony: Brazil wonderkid Antony hit the ground running when he first joined from Ajax but struggled for form and confidence in the two and half years that followed. He never lived up to expectations for an £82m player and ultimately left for just £21m. Rating: 2/10
1. Paul Pogba: Paul Pogba returned to Old Trafford for a world record fee of £89 million. The Frenchman spent a total of six seasons with Manchester United winning the EFL Cup and the Europa League in 2017. At times he was unplayable but injuries, a lack of consistency and clashes with a number of different managers mean he ultimately never lived up to the heights he had shown he was capable of during his first spell at Juventus. Rating: 5/10