Since their inception in 1878, Manchester United have had the privilege of signing some of the most highly-rated and accomplished players in soccer. Not only do the Premier League giants have one of the most illustrious trophy cabinets in the history of the sport, but they are also not afraid to splurge on players they want. So, when the Red Devils come calling, it becomes almost impossible to turn them down, both for the players and the selling clubs.
Today, we will analyze the data from Transfermarkt to identify the 10 biggest signings in Manchester United’s history. Here are the most expensive individuals to sign for the Red Devils:
#10 Mason Mount – $70.57 million
Signed from Chelsea for a sizable $70.57 million fee in July, Mason Mount is the first name on this list. A versatile midfielder, Mount possesses the quality to bring the perfect blend of attack and defense to the Red Devils’ midfield. Following Mount’s friendly debut against Leeds United in July, coach Erik ten Hag heaped praise on him, calling him a “complete midfielder.”
Prior to signing for the Mancunians, Mount spent four seasons at Stamford Bridge, recording 33 goals and 37 assists in 195 games in all competitions.
#9 Bruno Fernandes – $71.45 million
Easily the most thriving player on this list, Bruno Fernandes has turned out to be a bargain buy for Manchester United, even for $71.45 million.
Signed from Sporting CP in January 2020, Fernandes has been dazzling with his goals, assists, and link-up play from the word go. Over the last three-and-a-half seasons, United’s newly-christened skipper has played 185 games in all competitions, scoring 64 times and providing 54 assists. No United player has scored more goals or provided more assists than the Portuguese in that period.
#8 Casemiro – $77.72 million
Having won it all with Real Madrid, Casemiro joined Manchester United last summer, with Los Blancos accepting a $77.72 million bid for their star defensive midfielder.
The five-time Champions League winner took a little while to find his feet in Manchester but ended the 2022-23 campaign on a high note, signing off as one of United’s best players. The Brazilian superstar recorded 51 appearances in his debut season, bagging seven goals and claiming six assists across competitions.
#7 Angel Di Maria – $82.44 million
Angel Di Maria won the Man of the Match award in Real Madrid’s Champions League final win over Atletico Madrid in 2014. So, eyebrows were raised when he left the Whites for Manchester United ahead of the 2014-15 season.
On paper, the Old Trafford outfit got one of the best players in the world for $82.44 million. But unfortunately, the Argentine never managed to settle down in England. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner, who was involved in seven goals in his first six games at United, was a victim of a home invasion in October 2014. The traumatic experience marred his England stay and he ended up leaving for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) just a season after.
Prior to sealing a $69.18 million transfer to PSG, Di Maria played 32 games for the Premier League giants, scoring four times and providing 12 assists.
#6 Romelu Lukaku – $93.10 million
Manchester United splurged a whopping $93.10 million to sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton in the summer of 2017. Signed to serve as the team’s undisputed no. 9, Lukaku failed to fire on all cylinders and was eventually sold to Inter Milan for a handsome $81.25 million fee in 2019.
Now an outcast at Chelsea, Belgian ace Lukaku featured in 96 games for United between 2017 and 2019, scoring 42 times and providing 13 assists in all competitions.
#5 Jadon Sancho – $93.43 million
England international Jadon Sancho joined Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021, commanding a transfer fee of $93.43 million. Naturally a left-winger, Sancho is yet to find his feet at Old Trafford, only impressing in bits and pieces.
Since his arrival at Old Trafford, Sancho has appeared in 79 games for United in all competitions, scoring just 12 times and providing six assists. He will need to markedly up his game to win over his critics in the 2023-24 season.
#4 Rasmus Hojlund – $93.43 million
Latest Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund is the fourth name on the rankings, courtesy of his astronomical transfer fee of $93.43 million, including add-ons.
Hojlund, who was officially announced as a Manchester United player on Saturday (August 5), has joined the club after a highly-impressive season in Italy. Plying his trade at Atalanta, the 20-year-old Danish center-forward scored 10 times and claimed four assists in 34 appearances in all competitions. Hojlund, who also has six international goals in six games, sees his United contract expire in June 2028.
#3 Harry Maguire – $95.63 million
The most expensive defender in the history of soccer, Harry Maguire joined Manchester United from Leicester City for a whopping $95.63 million fee in August 2019. Six months later, then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made him skipper, hoping for him to lead the Red Devils by example.
A few good moments aside, the Englishman’s record transfer has not gone according to plan. Maguire has been quite error-prone for most of his United spell, drawing heavy criticism for it. He has also lost his place in the team following Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane’s transfers, with current boss Erik ten Hag preferring the duo over the Englishman. Furthermore, he was recently removed as the club’s captain, with Bruno Fernandes taking his place.
Since his switch from Leicester, Maguire has played 175 games for United in all competitions, scoring seven times. His contract expires in June 2025.
#2 Antony – $104.42 million
Last season, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag signed Antony from Ajax for a massive $104.42 million fee. The 23-year-old right-winger, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, did not set the stage alight with his performances in his debut season at United, but there were plenty of positives. His runs, link-up play, and creativity were on point, but a lot of work is still to be done on his finishing. Having gotten the time to get accustomed to the Premier League, it will be interesting to see how he fares in the 2023-24 campaign.
In the 2023-24 campaign, Antony featured in 44 games in all competitions, scoring eight times and claiming three assists.
#1 Paul Pogba – $115.42 million
Manchester United splurged British record $115.42 million to bring academy graduate Paul Pogba back from Juventus in 2016, four years after he left Old Trafford as a free agent. The Frenchman never managed to recapture the form that made him one of the best at Juventus and eventually returned to Turin as a free agent at the end of his contract in 2022.
Between 2016 and 2022, Pogba made 226 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 39 times and claiming 51 assists in all competitions. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner won a Carabao Cup and a Europa League during his stay, with both of those trophies coming in the 2016-17 season.
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