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Since Sir Alex Ferguson left the team, Manchester United has spent almost half a BILLION pounds on its ten biggest busts.
In 2013, the storied manager departed the team as Premier League champions, a distinction they have not retained since his departure.
Attempts have been made in the transfer market, with Manchester United reportedly spending £1.13 billion on new players.
With Chelsea’s £890 million and Manchester City’s £940 million net spending coming the closest, this makes the Old Trafford team the largest net spenders in Europe over the time period.
However, United’s two Premier League competitors have been able to maintain their dominance during that time, as both clubs have taken home both the Premier League and Champions League championships.
With the purchases of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Daley Blind, and Ander Herrera, the club has had some success in the transfer market.
Many of the club’s most expensive signings, though, have fallen short of expectations and ended up failing.
These failures can be attributed to a variety of factors, including a manager change, a player’s inability to adapt, or simply the team spending too much for its targets.
Although, to be fair, during his tenure at the club, Ferguson was also capable of bringing in a bust.
The ten players who have suffered the most failures after Ferguson’s departure are listed below.
Radamel Falcao 10.
From Ligue 1 club Monaco, the Colombian attacker moved to Manchester United in 2014 with great hopes.
Falcao still cost the club money even though he was just on loan since they had to pay a £6 million loan fee.
The attacker only scored four goals in 29 appearances in all competitions while at Old Trafford.
Morgan Schneiderlin, 9.
Due to his accomplishments at Southampton, the French midfielder was once among the top players outside of the big six.
Due to Schneiderlin’s efforts, Man United spent £24 million on him in 2015 in the hopes that he would play a significant role in Louis van Gaal’s midfield.
The Frenchman, who spent two and a half years at the club before moving to Everton, struggled to establish himself, making only 47 appearances during that time.
The fact that they were able to sell Schneidelin for £25 million is the primary advantage he provided for the team.
Memphis Depay 8.
After achieving great success at PSV as a young player, Memphis Depay made his way to Old Trafford in 2015 with high hopes.
The Dutchman cost the club £25 million, but he did not perform to his full potential while wearing a Red Devils jersey.
Although the winger played 53 times for the team, he only managed to score seven goals.
He departed the team after two years of a four-year contract because he transferred to Lyon of Ligue 1 and then Barcelona.
Alexis Sanchez.7
In January 2018, Alexis Sanchez cost Manchester United much more than merely the exchange of Henrik Mkhitaryan.
The Chilean joined the team after a standout stint with Arsenal, but it was evident from away that he would not maintain his performance.
Despite earning an absurd £505k per week, Sanchez only scored five goals in 45 outings.
He was loaned to Inter Milan after 18 months, joining them in 2020 on a free transfer.
Donny van de Beek. 6
The Dutch midfield maestro, who assisted Ajax in reaching the Champions League semifinals in 2019, was a fantastic prospect when he joined Old Trafford in 2019.
Donny van de Beek was a £35 million purchase for United, but he has had trouble living up to the promise.
The midfielder has only made 60 appearances in all competitions since joining the team due to several ailments.
Anthony Martial. 5
Another player who came to Old Trafford with high hopes was Anthony Martial.
The French attacker cost United £45 million in 2015, and he made a wonderful first impression by scoring on his club debut.
Martial’s propensity for injuries, though, started to limit his effectiveness on the field.
Martial has played 301 times for the team in all competitions, scoring 88 goals.
But it was back in 2019–20 that he last scored double digits in a single season.
Angel Di Maria. 4
The marquee player from Argentina joined Manchester United in 2014.
One of the best wingers in football history, Angel Di Maria departed Real Madrid for Manchester United.
But even £60 million couldn’t ensure he would bring that kind of talent to Old Trafford.
Di Maria only played 32 times and scored four goals during his one season in England before moving on to PSG.
Romelu Lukaku 3.
When Lukaku departed Everton for United in 2017, the £75 million price tag seemed reasonable.
The Belgian attacker struggled with the Red Devils despite excelling at Merseyside.
Aside from a few games where he displayed his talent, he was frequently regarded as being behind the curve at Old Trafford.
The fact that Lukaku scored 42 goals in just 96 outings does not adequately illustrate how he performed poorly at the club.
Harry Maguire 2.
Since Manchester United paid a staggering £85 million to acquire the England international from Leicester City in 2019, he has struggled there.
During his stay at the club, Harry Maguire made some notable mistakes and only managed to win the League Cup.
He did take on a leadership role at the club after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named him captain in 2020, though Erik ten Hag, the current manager, later stripped him of the title.
Additionally, the Dutchman has left Maguire off the starting lineup in favor of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
Paul Pogba.1
The record-breaking signing for Manchester United could not have gone more wrong.
Prior to departing the organization on a free transfer to Juventus in 2012, Paul Pogba had attended the club’s academy.
Pogba, one of Europe’s top midfielders, returned to United in 2016 for a cost of £89 million.
Pogba scored 39 goals in 233 games, falling short of expectations while showing flashes of his elite talent.
Despite the club’s efforts to offer him a new contract, he eventually left the team for free in 2022.
