Manchester United has spent more money than most other Premier League clubs over the years. However, simply because they have a lot of money does not guarantee that they will constantly win titles. Manchester United is an excellent example. They were able to afford several great players, particularly during Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful tenure as manager. The team quickly gained international acclaim. However, after Ferguson’s departure in 2013, the club has spent a fortune on big-name players who have underperformed. This was an attempt to maintain the club’s position as a top team in the world of football, but it hasn’t always worked out.
Here are top 5 most expensive Manchester United signings of all time
1. Paul Pogba – €105m
Paul Pogba came back to Manchester United in 2016 for a very high transfer fee, which was a big deal at that time. Unfortunately, he had some injuries that stopped him from playing well. When he wasn’t injured and played his best, Pogba was considered one of the best midfielders globally. However, he didn’t meet the expectations that came with his expensive price, and he left for free in 2022 to go back to Juventus. People criticized him a lot, mainly because of the large amount of money spent on him, and fans were annoyed by his inconsistent performances.
2. Antony – €95m
Manchester United spent a lot of money, €95 million, to get Antony, a player Erik ten Hag wanted, from Ajax in the summer of 2022. Antony, a 23-year-old winger from Brazil, played well in Amsterdam when Ten Hag was the coach, earning lots of praise and becoming a top player in global football. However, since joining Manchester United, he hasn’t played as well as expected, and people have criticized him a lot for his performances in a Manchester United jersey.
3. Harry Maguire – €87m
In 2019, Manchester United paid a lot of money, €87 million, to get Harry Maguire from Leicester City. This made him the most expensive defender ever, replacing Virgil van Dijk. A few months later, he became the captain of United. In his first two seasons, he did well and kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League among outfield players. However, in the 2021/22 season when United was not doing well, Maguire’s performance got worse, and he made some big mistakes. Now, under the coach Erik ten Hag, who came later, the 30-year-old Maguire is not as favored.
4. Jadon Sancho – €85m
Manchester United spent almost a whole year trying to get Jadon Sancho, and they finally got him in the summer of 2021. The coach, Solskjaer, had been looking for a good right-winger for a long time, and he was happy to bring in Sancho, who had become a very exciting player in Europe while playing for Borussia Dortmund. But things didn’t go well for Sancho in his first two seasons at Old Trafford, and then in September 2023, he was not chosen by the new coach, Erik ten Hag, after they had a public argument. The €85 million spent on him seemed like a waste.
5. Romelu Lukaku – €84.7m
Another player who was paid too much but didn’t perform well. Romelu Lukaku used to score a lot of goals at Everton and was one of the best No.9s in the Premier League. Then, in 2017, he joined Manchester United in a big €84.7 million deal. But things didn’t go well for him there. The coach, Jose Mourinho, often made him play in the wrong position, and Lukaku didn’t do as well as before. Fans at Old Trafford made fun of him, and some were unfriendly. He had problems with controlling the ball and finishing plays, so people blamed him a lot at United. Eventually, in 2019, he left the club and went to Inter Milan to try to get his career back on track. In his two seasons playing for Manchester United, the player from Belgium scored 16 goals in one season and 12 goals in the other. After leaving United, he did even better while playing for Inter.
