Man Utd’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Bence Bocsák

• 6 Sept 2024 15:36 BST
• 6 min read

Manchester United's owners, the Glazers, have been criticised for their poor running of the football club in recent years, but their investment on players has been remarkable.

United have consistently been among the biggest spenders in the transfer market, bringing in world-famous stars on a yearly basis.

READ MORE: Man City's 10 most expensive transfers of all time

But unfortunately for the Red Devils, many of these high-profile signings have failed to produce the goods at Old Trafford.

Below, FootballTransfers lists Man Utd's 10 most expensive signings in history.

READ MORE: Liverpool's 10 most expensive transfers of all time

10. Bruno Fernandes - €65m (Sporting CP, 2020)

As far as making an immediate impact goes, there have been few better signings than Bruno Fernandes in English top flight history. Arriving in January 2020, Fernandes took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to new heights in his first 18 months at the club.

Nominated for PFA and Premier League Player of the Year in his first full season, the Portuguese star was arguably the best footballer in the country during his first two years at the club.

The one thing missing from the early part of his United career was silverware, but he put that right when Man Utd won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

9. Leny Yoro – €70m (from Lille, 2024)

Man Utd stunned Real Madrid by beating them to the signing of teenage defender Leny Yoro in 2024 for a fee that could rise as high as €70m.

The Lille youngster was holding out for a move to Real but United's determination saw them exceed the Spanish side's best offer and seal a move for one of the standout young defenders in world football.

8. Casemiro - €70.7m (from Real Madrid, 2022)

Casemiro was called upon by United in August 2022 as the solution to their midfield woes, with Real Madrid finally relenting and allowing their star to leave in exchange for a handsome fee.

The Brazilian left Real Madrid after making 336 appearances for the club and winning 18 trophies during an illustrious career at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Casemiro immediately inspired United to a trophy - the League Cup - in an impressive debut season, but the Brazilian is beginning to show his age.

7. Angel Di Maria - €75m (from Real Madrid, 2014)

After reaching the World Cup final with Argentina and having spent several years at Real Madrid, Angel Di Maria was seen as a monumental signing for United in 2014, when he joined for a club-record fee.

With the famous No.7 on his back, Di Maria started well, with three goals and four assists in his first six games, including a gorgeous, impudent chip at Leicester.

But it very quickly went south with rumours of a rift behind the scenes. His wife would later label Manchester a “s***hole” as the pair turned to Paris after just 12 months in England.

6. Rasmus Hojlund - €75m (from Atalanta, 2023)

With many rivals spending big on attackers in the 2023 summer transfer window, Man Utd got into the action by splashing out on Danish phenom Rasmus Hojlund.

The Red Devils spent several weeks negotiating with Atalanta before agreeing a €75m fee for the young striker.

Hojlund scored nine goals during his one Serie A season at Atalanta, who sold him for a 400% profit just 11 months after buying the Dane from Sturm Graz.

5. Romelu Lukaku - €84.7m (from Everton, 2017)

Romelu Lukaku had a mixed time at Man Utd after joining the club for €84.7m from Everton.

The Belgian scored 16 and 12 goals in his two Premier League seasons at Old Trafford, respectively, before leaving and going on to greater heights at Inter.

All in all, Lukaku put together two relatively decent campaigns at Old Trafford and considering Man Utd sold him to Inter for €74m, he wasn't the colossal failure he is sometimes made out to be.

4. Jadon Sancho - €85m (from Borussia Dortmund, 2021)

Man Utd spent the best part of a year trying to sign Jadon Sancho before finally getting their man in the summer of 2021.

Solskjaer had been searching for a top-class right-winger for quite some time and was delighted to bring in a player who had developed into one of the most exciting players in Europe at Borussia Dortmund.

However, Sancho struggled during his first two seasons at Old Trafford before he was frozen out by Erik ten Hag in September 2023 following the pair's public feud. €85m wasted.

In the summer window of 2024, he moved to Chelsea on loan with an obligation to buy (€30m) that would be triggered if the Blues finish within the top 14 during the 2024-25 season.

3. Harry Maguire - €87m (from Leicester City, 2019)

Just 18 months after Liverpool made Virgil van Dijk the most expensive defender in history, Man Utd broke that record by signing Harry Maguire from Leicester.

It took the Englishman half a season to become the permanent United captain, and despite initial concerns over the fee, he became one of the first names on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team sheet.

However, he was stripped of the captaincy by Ten Hag ahead of the 2023-24 season, with Bruno Fernandes replacing him after Maguire lost his place in the Man Utd starting XI to Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

After initial promise, Maguire's career at Old Trafford looked to be over during the 2023 summer transfer window amid interest from West Ham, but a move didn't materialise.

2. Antony - €95m (from Ajax, 2022)

Man Utd landed Antony on Transfer Deadline Day in the summer of 2022, in the biggest deal ever concluded on the final day of the summer transfer window.

He was a priority for Ten Hag throughout the summer but United's reticence to match Ajax's asking price meant that a deal was slow to conclude.

Ultimately, the Red Devils ended up shelling out €95m in a deal that was widely seen as being too pricey for what they received. In his first seasons at Old Trafford, Antony has failed to live up to his transfer fee and was widely criticised for his performances in a Man Utd shirt.

1. Paul Pogba - €105m (from Juventus, 2016)

Paul Pogba made his widely publicised return to Man United in the summer of 2016 for a world-record transfer fee at the time.

Another player that came under intense scrutiny, largely because of the money spent on him, Pogba frustrated fans with inconsistent performances.

Injury issues halted his impact on the side, but when fit and when performing at his best, Pogba remained one of the best midfielders in the world.

Nevertheless, he failed to live up to his price tag and left on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 to return to Juventus.

The 10 most expensive Man Utd signings of all time

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