Man Utd are the worst club in the world at selling players
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 14 Sept 2023 13:14 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United have had one of the worst record of selling players over the past ten years - or even perhaps ever.
During the post-Fergie years, the club have overpaid for a majority of their targets, while being unable to sell them for any decent return. It's true that the side have had Glazers to contend with for the majority of this century, but it’s also been some dreadful people in charge of negotiations, particularly where selling is concerned.
The club’s record departure is the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, who left for €94m in 2009. But the club’s biggest sale since Sir Alex Ferguson left is Romelu Lukaku, who joined Inter Milan for €74m ten years later. Angel Di Maria is placed third in the list of record departures, moving to Paris Saint-Germain for €63m. In fourth spot is a deal that Man Utd did 20 years ago, when David Beckham joined Los Blancos for €37m.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is next, and he did prove to be a shrewd sale for Man Utd - moving to Premier League rivals Arsenal for €34m in January 2018. In sixth spot is Daniel James, who moved to Leeds for €29m. To get their seventh record sale we have to go back to 2001, with Jaap Stam’s controversial move to Lazio for €25.7m.
READ MORE: Maguire to blame for struggles after rejecting Man Utd exit
Morgan Schneiderlin’s departure to Everton comes in next, for €23m in 2017. Juan Sebastian Veron to Chelsea for €21.8m takes the ninth spot and Danny Welbeck to Arsenal for €20m takes the tenth spot.
And things are a lot worse when you filter the years from the last ten years since Ferguson left Old Trafford. Man Utd have only made two sales in that time which came above €35m.
Man Utd record sales since 2013
1. Romelu Lukaku - €74m (bought for €84.7m)
2. Angel Di Maria - €63m (bought for €75m)
3. Henrikh Mkhitaryan - €34m (bought for €42m)
4. Daniel James - €29m (bought for €12m)
5. Morgan Schneiderlin - €23m (bought for €35m)
6. Danny Welbeck - €20m (academy graduate)
7. Dean Henderson - €17.5m (academy graduate)
8. Anthony Elanga - €17.5m (academy graduate)
9. Memphis Depay - €16m (bought for €34m)
10. Daley Blind - €16m (bought for €17m)
