United’s cheque book has been called upon in a desperate bid to help ease the club’s slump in recent times, with moderate success, but also some high-profile flops
Few clubs have spent as much as Manchester United on players over the last 10 years.
The club have made a habit of throwing cash at the transfer market, particularly in the years following Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.
But while the Old Trafford cheque book has been well-used in that time, the club’s success rate in the market hasn’t been great.
Indeed, United have signed more than their fair share of duds, with the cost of so many poor transfer decisions still being counted by the club.
Here are arguably the worst signings made by United since 2010…
1. Bebe
Bebe was one of United’s more bizarre signings in recent times ( Image: AFP/Getty Images)
As the story goes, Portuguese forward Bebe went from being a homeless teenager playing in a street football tournament to signing for United in the space of just one year.
It had all the makings of a footballing fairytale, only Bebe failed to make much of an impression on the pitch at Old Trafford, and after just two league appearances he was loaned out.
The forward left for Benfica in 2014 and has since carved out a relatively successful career for himself in Portugal and Spain.
2. Memphis Depay
Depay took up the coveted no.7 shirt but crumpled under the pressure ( Image: Getty Images)
Handed the famous number seven shirt, Depay had the confidence and swagger to be United’s next superstar. Or so it seemed at first.
But soon the Dutch winger was under scrutiny for not offering enough in the final third, and was eventually sold to Lyon in the summer of 2017, where he has since flourished.
Depay needed patience, but that was never likely to be forthcoming at Old Trafford.
3. Angel di Maria
Signed for a then-record Premier League fee of £59.7m, big things were excepted of di Maria.
And the winger, a key figure in Real Madrid ’s Champions League-winning side of the season before, started well, notching two goals and two assists in his first four games for his new club.
But the Argentinian soon became unsettled in Manchester, and forced through a move to Paris Saint-Germain just a year later.
At least United managed to claw back £44m for the player.
4. Radamel Falcao
This was a signing that came out of the blue. Nobody saw United’s 2014 deadline-day loan deal for the Monaco star coming, but it soon became clear why the Colombian had been allowed leave.
Falcao was a shadow of his former self at Old Trafford, scoring just four times in 29 appearances in his one and only season at the club.
Being a loan deal, United at least had some protection, but this is a signing that still lives long in the memory for its bizarreness.
5. Shinji Kagawa
Kagawa didn’t have the desired impact at Old Trafford ( Image: AFP/Getty Images)
United fans were right to be excited by the arrival of Kagawa in the summer of 2012.
The Japanese playmaker had scored 13 times and registered eight assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund the season before, but was played out of position by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Stuck out wide rather than being played through the middle, Kagawa struggled to influence games as he had in Germany and lost his way at United.
6. Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan failed to live up to expectations ( Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Much like with Kagawa, United were justified in their excitement over the signing of this Borussia Dortmund star.
Mkhitaryan made a £30m move to Old Trafford for Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge, but was never a success.
An astonishing 2015/16 season saw the Armenian score 11 and assist in 15 in 31 Bundesliga appearances, but under Mourinho his confidence was knocked and he never truly recovered, despite finding some form in the Europa League.
7. Marcos Rojo
In the summer of 2014, before Louis Van Gaal’s first season in charge, United needed defenders, so Rojo arrived from Sporting Lisbon in a €20m deal.
The Argentinian had just enjoyed a successful World Cup, but lacked the necessary quality to upgrade United’s backline.
Rojo is still on the books at Old Trafford, but spent the second half of last season on loan at his boyhood club Estudiantes.
He seems set to leave for good sooner rather than later.
8. Alexis Sanchez
United are still paying for Sanchez to play elsewhere ( Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
For many, this will go down as the worst signing in Premier League history, and that’s a high bar to clear.
Alexis Sanchez was the heart and soul of Arsenal for three-and-a-half years, so United must have thought they’d pulled off quite a coup by luring him to Old Trafford in January 2018, albeit on massive wages.
But the Chilean was never able to recapture his Arsenal form for the Reds and was loaned to Inter Milan for the 2019/20 season… when United paid him close to £200,000-a-week (half his weekly wages) not to play for them.
9. Morgan Schneiderlin
Schneiderlin proved to be an expensive mistake ( Image: Getty Images)
Van Gaal needed an anchor to use at the base of his midfield, and in Schneiderlin it seemed he had been handed one of the best in that position in the Premier League.
But the Frenchman, signed from Southampton for £30m, quickly fell out of favour, making just three Premier League appearances in his second season at United.
Schneiderlin was never able to impose himself at Old Trafford and left for Everton in January 2017.
10. Bastian Schweinsteiger
Schweinsteiger couldn’t quite reproduce the form he had shown over his career ( Image: Getty Images)
The hope was that the World Cup and Champions League winner would enjoy a late career renaissance at Old Trafford, where the midfielder was reunited with his former manager Van Gaal.
Schweinsteiger’s class and pedigree was never in any doubt, but injuries and a general lack of fitness saw the German make just five appearances in his second, and last, season in England.
