Manchester United has made several expensive and disappointing transfers over the years, with players failing to meet expectations due to poor performances, injuries, or tactical mismatches. Here are some of the worst signings in the club’s history.
15. Diego Forlan – £6.9m
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Signed from Independiente in 2002, Forlan struggled to find the net consistently at Old Trafford. Despite his talent, he failed to justify his price tag before leaving for Spain, where he later became a prolific striker.
14. Angel Di Maria – £59.7m
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Brought in from Real Madrid in 2014, Di Maria started strong but quickly lost motivation. He struggled to adapt to the Premier League and left after just one season, making his high transfer fee a costly mistake.
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Signed from Nantes in 2003, Djemba-Djemba was expected to strengthen United’s midfield but instead became a symbol of wasted money. He failed to impress and was quickly moved on.
Arriving from PSV in 2015 with high expectations, Depay never lived up to his potential at United. His inconsistency and struggles in the Premier League led to an early exit from the club.
11. Massimo Taibi – £4.5m
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Taibi was signed from Venezia in 1999 to solve United’s goalkeeping issues but is best remembered for a disastrous mistake against Southampton. His time at Old Trafford was short-lived.
10. Wilfried Zaha – £10m
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United signed Zaha from Crystal Palace in 2013, but he barely got a chance under David Moyes. He struggled to make an impact and returned to Palace, where he later thrived.
9. Radamel Falcao – £6m (Loan)
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United took a gamble on Falcao in 2014, signing him on loan from Monaco. However, he failed to regain his world-class form, scoring just four goals before leaving at the end of the season.
One of the most baffling transfers in United’s history, Bebe was signed from Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2010. He was nowhere near Premier League quality and barely featured before being sold.
7. Kleberson – £6m
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After impressing at the 2002 World Cup, Kleberson joined United from Atletico Paranaense in 2003. However, he struggled with the physicality of English football and was quickly deemed a flop.
6. Alexis Sanchez – Swap
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United thought they had pulled off a coup by swapping Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Sanchez in 2018, but the Chilean turned out to be a massive disappointment. His wages were astronomical, and his performances were underwhelming.
5. Jadon Sancho – £73m
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Signed from Dortmund in 2021 with huge expectations, Sancho has struggled to deliver. A fallout with Erik ten Hag has only worsened his time at the club, making his transfer one of United’s biggest failures.
Brought in from Southampton in 2015 to bolster United’s midfield, Schneiderlin never found his rhythm and was quickly sold after failing to make an impact.
3. Donny van de Beek – £40m
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Signed from Ajax in 2020, Van de Beek has been a major disappointment, failing to earn a regular place in the starting lineup. His lack of impact has made him one of the worst signings of recent years.
2. Paul Pogba – £89m
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United spent a record fee to bring Pogba back from Juventus in 2016, but his inconsistent performances and frequent off-field drama made his tenure frustrating. He eventually left for free in 2022.
1. Antony – £86m
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Signed from Ajax in 2022, Antony has failed to justify his enormous price tag. His lack of end product and poor decision-making have made him one of United’s worst-ever signings.
