Manchester United have been heavily criticised since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, but their investment in players has been huge during this period.
United have consistently been among the biggest spenders in the transfer market and have brought in world-famous stars annually.
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But for the Red Devils, many of these high-profile signings have not delivered as expected at Old Trafford.
10. Bruno Fernandes – €65 million (from Sporting CP, 2020)
United chose to spend €65 million on Portuguese attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes in the January 2020 window, and it remains one of the club’s best transfers ever.
Fernandes left Sporting after scoring 63 goals in 137 appearances and became an instant success at Old Trafford.
He was appointed new club captain by Erik ten Hag in July 2023 after several years of strong performances and has established himself as a world star, despite United’s problems on the pitch since his arrival.
9. Casemiro – €70.7 million (from Real Madrid, 2022)
Casemiro was brought in by United in August 2022 as the solution to their midfield problems, after Real Madrid finally gave in and let the star leave for a significant sum.
The Brazilian left Real Madrid after 336 appearances and 18 trophies in a brilliant career at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Casemiro immediately inspired United to win the League Cup in his first season, but he is starting to show signs of ageing.
8. Matheus Cunha – €74.2 million (from Wolves, 2025)
United made Matheus Cunha their first major signing before the 2025/26 season in hopes of recovering from a disastrous season.
After a 15th-place finish in the Premier League and poor goalscoring statistics, manager Rúben Amorim was desperate to bring in more attacking power, which led the club to activate Cunha’s €74 million buyout clause at Wolves.
Cunha recorded 27 goals and 13 assists in his last two seasons at Wolves, underlining why United were so keen to sign him.
7. Ángel Di María – €75 million (from Real Madrid, 2014)
After reaching the World Cup final with Argentina and several years at Real Madrid, Di María was seen as a huge reinforcement when he joined United for a club-record sum in 2014.
With the famous number 7 shirt on his back, he started strongly, with three goals and four assists in his first six games, including an exceptionally fine lob goal against Leicester.
But things quickly went downhill with rumors of conflicts behind the scenes. His wife later called Manchester a “”, and the couple went to Paris after only 12 months in England.
6. Rasmus Højlund – €77.8 million (from Atalanta, 2023)
In a summer where rivals spent large sums of money on attackers, United stepped in and brought in the Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund.
After several weeks of negotiations, United and Atalanta agreed on a transfer fee of €77.8 million.
Hojlund scored nine goals in his one Serie A season for Atalanta, who sold the Dane at a 400% profit just 11 months after buying him from Sturm Graz.
5. Romelu Lukaku – €84.7 million (from Everton, 2017)
Lukaku had a varied success at United after a move from Everton for €84.7 million.
The Belgian scored 16 and 12 goals respectively in his two Premier League seasons at Old Trafford, before going to Inter and experiencing greater success.
All in all, he had two relatively solid seasons at United, and since the club sold him for €74 million, he wasn’t the total failure he is sometimes portrayed as.
4. Jadon Sancho – €85 million (from Borussia Dortmund, 2021)
United spent almost a year trying to sign Sancho before they finally got him in the summer of 2021.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been looking for a top-class right winger for a long time and was pleased to sign a player who had developed into one of Europe’s most exciting talents in Dortmund.
But Sancho struggled in his first two seasons, before being frozen out by Ten Hag in September 2023 following a public feud. €85 million wasted.
3. Harry Maguire – €87 million (from Leicester, 2019)
Just 18 months after Liverpool made Virgil van Dijk the most expensive defender in history, United broke the record by signing Maguire from Leicester.
The England stopper became permanent captain after six months, and despite concerns over the price, he became a key player under Solskjaer.
But he was stripped of the captain’s armband by Ten Hag before the 2023/24 season after losing his place to Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane.
2. Antony – €95 million (from Ajax, 2022)
United secured Antony on the last day of the transfer window in the summer of 2022, in the biggest Deadline Day deal ever.
He was a top priority for Ten Hag, but United’s reluctance to match Ajax’s price demands led to a lengthy negotiation.
In the end, they ended up paying €95 million for a player who was considered far too expensive. After two and a half years of poor performances, he was loaned to Real Betis in January 2025.
1. Paul Pogba – €105 million (from Juventus, 2016)
Pogba returned to United in the summer of 2016 for a world record sum at the time.
A player who was met with massive skepticism because of the price tag, frustrated spectators with uneven performances.
Injuries limited his impact, but when fit, he was still one of the world’s best midfielders.
Still, he didn’t live up to expectations and left the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 to return to Juventus.
Manchester United’s 10 Most Expensive Signings Ever
| Player | from | price | year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Paul Pogba | Juventus | €105M | 2016 |
| 2. Antony | Ajax | €95M | 2022 |
| 3. Harry Maguire | Leicester | €87M | 2019 |
| 4. Jadon Sancho | Dortmund | €85M | 2021 |
| 5. Romelu Lukaku | Everton | €84,7M | 2017 |
| 6. Rasmus Højlund | Atalanta | €77,8M | 2023 |
| 7. Ángel Di María | Real Madrid | €75M | 2014 |
| 8. Matheus Cunha | Wolves | €74,2M | 2025 |
| 9. Casemiro | Real Madrid | €70,7M | 2022 |
| 10. Bruno Fernandes | Sporting CP | €65M | 2020 |
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