Man Utd’s 10 worst signings since Sir Alex Ferguson retired

It wouldn’t be unfair to name Manchester United’s downfall since Sir Alex Ferguson retired an enormous disappointment. In reality, after ending in fifteenth place within the 2024/25 Premier League, one might even go so far as calling it a catastrophe.

One key ingredient of their fall from grace has been {the catalogue} of errors within the switch market. From failed loans to world-record flops, United have a reasonably embarrassing cost sheet.

However who’s the worst of the worst? We have now had a go at naming and shaming the worst arrivals at Previous Trafford for the reason that summer season of 2013.

Rating components

With a purpose to rank these gamers, now we have thought-about the next standards:

Switch price – whether or not they overpaid for the participant

Accidents – how usually they had been unavailable throughout their time on the membership

Moments to overlook – whether or not they had embarrassed themselves in a United shirt

Expectation v actuality – how a lot distinction there was between how properly they had been anticipated to carry out and their precise performances

Damaging fame – if their switch and/or performances damage the staff

Be aware: All stats courtesy of Transfermarkt and proper as of fifteenth August 2025.

10: Anthony Martial

Signed from Monaco for £36m (2015)

The primary fault with Manchester United’s signing of Anthony Martial is the worth – not solely did they spend £36m on a largely unproven teenager (Martial turned the costliest teen of all time), however they might have ended up spending as a lot as £58m.

Given how the Frenchman’s United profession panned out, we’ll stick our necks out and counsel he didn’t activate too many add-ons.

And regardless of a promising begin at Previous Trafford with three targets in his first two Premier League matches – which led to comparisons to Thierry Henry – issues quickly fizzled out as Martial by no means nailed down a beginning function, regardless of finally reaching 90 targets in United colors.

9: Memphis Depay

Signed from PSV for £31m (2015)

The summer season 2015 switch window wasn’t precisely a raging success, with the costly Martial arguably the most effective of a nasty bunch.

In equity to Man Utd, Memphis Depay had proven some promise at PSV forward of his transfer, however he failed to indicate his finest within the Premier League, with a very dangerous day at Stoke springing to thoughts.

Whereas he went on to shine in France for Lyon, Depay’s time at United was inconsistent at finest, so was he poorly managed?

Maybe the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmian and Bastian Schweinsteiger can testify to that…

8: Andre Onan

Signed from Inter for £47.2m (2023)

Signing quickly after guiding Inter to the Champions League remaining in 2023, Andre Onana had the look of a strong long-term successor to David de Gea.

And regardless of profitable the FA Cup on the finish of his first season on the membership, Onana’s monitor document between the sticks has been riddled with errors, from spilled photographs and crosses to passing to attackers.

The Cameroonian isn’t precisely somebody who fills you with confidence on the again, to the purpose the place one other season of gaffes might spell the top for him at United.

7: Radamel Falcao

Signed on mortgage from Monaco for £6m (2014)

In one of the crucial costly mortgage of all time, Radamel Falcao joined Manchester United to spice up their attacking choices in Louis van Gaal’s first season on the membership.

However his transfer was a monetary and footballing catastrophe. With 4 targets in 26 top-flight appearances, United had been hardly going to train their £43.5m possibility to purchase the Colombian.

Given his earlier exploits in Portugal and Spain, it was definitely an bold transfer becoming for a membership like United, however Falcao returned to Monaco earlier than flopping once more at Chelsea.

6: Donny van de Beek

Signed from Ajax for £35m (2020)

Purchased for £35m, offered for lower than £500k. That’s the story of Donny van de Beek’s Manchester United profession.

He would have arrived to a lot fanfare however for the behind-closed-doors marketing campaign in 2020/21, which solely served as a metaphor for the muted nature of his Previous Trafford stint.

Within the squad as a lot as he wasn’t, and with few notable moments to talk of, far more should have been anticipated of the Dutchman after dazzling for Ajax to warrant his high-profile transfer.

5: Paul Pogba

Signed from Juventus for £89m (2016)

It was meant to be the reunion of the technology. However Paul Pogba didn’t stay as much as the billing after United pulled out all of the stops to seal a world-record transfer for the Frenchman, 4 years after his departure to Juventus.

Pogba began properly sufficient, however with the Pink Devils unable to return to the highest of the English recreation, the membership careered off into relative purgatory because the midfielder’s affect waned.

It was an costly mistake, though additional errors within the switch market had been arguably extra damaging to the staff.

4: Cristiano Ronaldo

Signed from Juventus for £12.8m (2021)

One such instance was the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. Introduced in as a brief morale-booster, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s choice to convey his former teammate again to Previous Trafford appeared like a masterstroke, with the membership seeking to solidify untapped title credentials by signing one of many world’s finest.

However regardless of a barnstorming begin to his second spell, the whole lot unravelled within the incorrect manner for United, with Solskjaer out the door simply a few months later.

An obvious rift with the Norwegian’s successor, Erik ten Hag, noticed Ronaldo’s homecoming come to an acrimonious finish. The pair clearly didn’t see eye to eye, and the participant’s antics finally began to have an effect on the staff for the more severe.

The truth that the Pink Devils flourished with out him (in Ten Hag’s first season, at the very least) meant Ronaldo’s return left everybody concerned with egg on their face.

3: Jadon Sancho

Signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73m (2021)

Someway, Ronaldo’s ill-fated comeback was in no way Solskjaer’s greatest fumble.

United had been within the temper to make some statements forward of the 2021/22 season, and whereas the arrival of Raphael Varane was a sign of intent and proof of their pulling energy, their seize of ex-Man Metropolis expertise Jadon Sancho might have been thought-about an almighty coup.

However Sancho has spent the previous couple of years rebuilding his profession on account of life in Manchester not going to plan, with a very low second coming below the reign of Ten Hag, who resorted to suspending the winger from the primary staff.

On condition that Sancho’s fortunes didn’t enhance after United’s change(s) in administration, it’s troublesome to put the blame solely at Solskjaer’s door, however there’s no denying his signing was an unlucky and colossal waste of cash.

2: Angel Di Maria

Signed from Actual Madrid for £59.7m (2014)

Nonetheless reeling from their terrible first season post-Ferguson, Man Utd sought to make up for it by cherry-picking one of many recreation’s finest gamers from the European champions, Actual Madrid.

Angel Di Maria arrived with loads of expectation on his shoulders, however he didn’t forge a profitable profession within the Premier League after sealing what was a British document deal.

The Argentinian endured an up-and-down season, along with his audacious chip in opposition to Leicester Metropolis tempered by an embarrassing pink card within the FA Cup.

United ended up making a loss on the 2022 World Cup winner lower than a 12 months later, with their trophyless marketing campaign in 2014/15 capping a depressing 12 months for all involved.

1: Antony

Signed from Ajax for £82m (2022)

It solely took Antony 35 minutes to get his United account up and working, however that was nearly as good because it bought.

The Brazilian joined from Ajax, the place Erik ten Hag had beforehand labored with him, so the sensation would have been that he might convey his tempo and aptitude to Previous Trafford as they appeared to regain their place amongst England’s elite.

However except you outline ‘aptitude’ as dribbling round unopposed in a circle, Antony has executed little or no to warrant his gargantuan £82m switch price.

Within the defence of the participant, it may very well be argued that he’s one other sufferer, alongside the likes of Sancho and Van de Beek, of floundering amid the unwelcome atmosphere at Manchester United – significantly given he was a star for Actual Betis throughout his mortgage spell in 2024/25.

Although there’s little sympathy for the Pink Devils right here, who might have (and will have) put that cash to a lot better use. It’s troublesome to discover a costlier flop from the membership’s illustrious historical past.