Manchester United have filled the pages of history like no other club till date. The club has become a symbol and a subject of envy and idol-worship for different people. While there are several noteworthy eras to wax lyrical about, the achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson from 1986-2013 deserve special mention for the frightening consistency and dominance displayed by the club during a majority of the period. The special thing about the Scot was his enviable quality of squeezing the maximum out of every player and making sure they outperformed themselves whilst on the pitch.
But with the changing dynamics in football, Manchester United have also had to splash the big bucks in an attempt to further their legacy as the competition and the exposure within the Premier League has reached an alarming level and though it is unfortunate, more and more managers are looking at instant solutions to their team’s malaise. We look at 5 most expensive players in United’s history, who have a new leader after the latest signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus.
PAUL POGBA- €105m
Jose Mourinho smashed all transfer records when he recently secured the signature of the in-demand French midfielder from Juventus. The self-anointed Special One is expected to get United back on track after their recent underperformance and he has looked to do just that. The midfielder along with the signing of players like Ibrahimovic is an attempt to bring fear back into the minds of the opposition which has been lacking recently.
ANGEL DI MARIA- €75M
The Argentine winger was brought to the club under Louis Van Gaal and the transfer value at the time made him the costliest player in Manchester United history. While David Moyes was not fortunate enough with a substantial transfer kitty, his successor got all the players he demanded but we all know how that turned out to be.
ANTHONY MARTIAL- €50m
One of the few bright attacking sparks to write home about from last season, fans are grateful to Van Gaal for pushing for the transfer of this French youngster. Boasting of maturity ahead of this years he is touted to be one of the best attacking players in the years to come. His combination with Ibrahimovic, Rooney and Mkhitaryan will be interesting to watch his season.
RIO FERDINAND- €46m
Ferguson went all out for this former Leeds United defender and broke all sorts of transfer records at that time to secure the highly-rated player’s signature. One of the most successful defenders of his generation, it was a match made in heaven as Ferdinand along with Vidic formed one of the best defensive partnerships of all time.
JUAN MATA- €44.73m
The former two-time Chelsea POTY was offloaded by Mourinho in controversial circumstances in the January transfer window of the 2013-14 season and David Moyes gladly accepted the player as he looked for a marquee signing to steady his sinking ship. Mata has been an honest performer throughout his time at United and has endeared himself to the fans over time. Though it looks this season as though his time at the club might be up, he has been a fan favourite at Old Trafford.
Transfer fees’ source
