United have had a superb window after capturing Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana – but who is their best signing of the last decade?
Credit where it is due – Manchester United have had a stunning transfer window. After one of their best seasons of the last decade, the club have seriously backed Erik ten Hag and given him exactly what he wanted.
They have shown David de Gea the door – at the risk of looking both indecisive and heartless – and given the manager his former Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, whose ball-playing skills will allow the team to play exactly how he wants them to.
The Red Devils have also beaten their rivals to sign Mason Mount and most crucially, they have signed a hugely promising striker in Rasmus Hojlund. Even though Ten Hag's ideal choice would have been Harry Kane, United have bought an enormously talented young player with a high ceiling.
Best of all, United have landed all of their main targets two weeks before the Premier League season starts, a welcome change from previous years when they were scrambling to sign players on deadline day.
Only time will tell whether or not Hojlund, Mount or Onana turn out to be successes, but United now have no excuses for next season after arguably their most productive transfer window since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
But who is the best signing United have made since the legendary Scot's departure? GOAL has cast an eye over every acquisition the club has made over the last decade and compiled a list of the most successful arrivals…
Getty Images10Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial was relatively unknown when United signed him at the age of 19 from Monaco for a fee rising to £50 million ($64m). However, he had a dream debut against Liverpool, scoring a tremendous goal. Red Devils' fans revelled in his underdog status, penning a chant with the words "£50 million down the drain, Tony Martial scores again".
Martial had an excellent first campaign, scoring 17 times, including firing United to an FA Cup semi-final win over Everton with a goal in stoppage-time. But he suffered when Jose Mourinho succeeded Louis van Gaal, with his form and confidence nosediving.
The arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led to a resurgence of sorts and he scored 17 league goals in the 2019-20 campaign to help United finish third. His injury problems then resurfaced, however, and he has not been the same player since.
Although he had his moments last season after returning from his unsuccessful loan spell at Sevilla, Martial continued to be haunted by fitness issues, missing 33 games in total.
AdvertisementGetty Images9Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo's return sent United fans into a frenzy in 2021, unleashing a wave of nostalgia for his brilliant first spell with the club, when he developed from a shy and skinny boy with spaghetti-like hair into a Ballon d'Or winner.
United's announcement of his £12m ($15m) transfer from Juventus broke the club's record for social media interactions and there was an incredible buzz for his debut against Newcastle. It could hardly have gone better, with Ronaldo scoring twice in the 4-1 win amid a carnival atmosphere.
The Portuguese gave United fans more moments to savour by leading the Red Devils to comeback wins over Villarreal, Atalanta and Arsenal while hitting hat-tricks against Tottenham and Norwich. He ended the season with 18 league goals, the joint-highest amount for a United player since Robin van Persie in 2012-13.
But the inescapable truth is that United became a worse team overall due to Ronaldo's presence and they finished the season with their lowest-ever points total in the Premier League. Ronaldo's petty antics the following campaign further tainted his return and he embarrassed the club with his infamous interview with Piers Morgan which led to him terminating his contract and joining Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
Getty8Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane is not a chest-beating, screaming centre-back like many of his peers. He adopts a lower profile, letting his close control, ball-carrying abilities and passing do the talking instead.
United did not unearth Varane as he was already a serial winner with Real Madrid and a World Cup winner with France, and he did not come cheap at £50m ($64m), but he has helped stabilise United's defence.
It is only when he is not available that United realise quite how much they miss him. Of the 12 matches Ten Hag's side lost last season, Varane was missing for seven of them. After he injured his ankle in the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sevilla, United lost three of their next seven games. And when he returned, they won four in a row.
Getty Images7Ander Herrera
Ander Herrera was the subject of one of the most intriguing transfer stories of 2013, when United tried to sign him from Athletic Club on transfer deadline day. The move was derailed by imposters claiming to be his lawyers but who Herrera had never met.
Despite the fallout from the botched move, United went after Herrera again the following summer and got their man for £29m ($37m). They had signed a fantastic passer but also a committed workhorse who would carry out whatever duties his managers asked of him.
Herrera was a disciple of Mourinho, and although he was not the most talented player in the team, he was one of the Portuguese's most reliable and loyal soldiers. And he was beloved by supporters, who could see how much he loved English football and how much he relished being a part of United.
