Five players Man Utd failed to sign this season

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 4 min read

Manchester United have had one hell of an eventful season when it comes to the transfer market.

The Red Devils have been one of Europe’s biggest spenders as they splashed out close to €250 million on new players in the summer.

They brought in Antony for €100m, Real Madrid legend Casemiro for €70m, as well as Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, Feyenoord’s Tyrell Malacia, and Christian Eriksen on a free transfer. Martin Dubravka arrived on loan from Newcastle.

Premier League 2022/23 January transfers: All the Done Deals

But Man Utd moved for a number of these players only after they had failed to sign other targets. Indeed, United have failed to buy a number of big-name players in 2022-23.

What players did Man Utd not sign in 2022-23?

The most recent, of course, is PSV attacker Cody Gakpo. United agreed personal terms with the player in the summer but couldn’t get a deal over the line with PSV. They were expected to complete the transfer in January 2023, only to see Liverpool jump in and close the deal on Boxing Day for a price that could reach €57m. The deal became official on December 28.

Another attacker Man Utd were in advanced negotiations with was Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic in the summer. But a combination of Bologna’s reluctance to sell unless United offered a big fee they weren’t prepared to pay - plus opposition from fans - saw the transfer fall through.

In defence, Man Utd’s initial target at centre back this summer was Ajax Jurrien Timber. The Dutch club were reluctant to sell and the player himself was not convinced that he was ready for the move, preferring to develop in Amsterdam for another year. As a result, Timber stayed at Ajax and United moved to sign his teammate Martinez instead.

Onto the midfield and Man Utd were in negotiations to sign Frenkie de Jong for much of the past summer. Barcelona accepted an €85m bid from Man Utd in July, but the player himself continually refused to move to Old Trafford.

United then moved onto Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. It is widely understood that Juventus and Man Utd agreed on a transfer fee worth €18m plus €6m in add-ons. But United were unable to agree personal terms with Rabiot, READ MORE: Who is Veronique Rabiot?" target="_blank">with his mother and agent Veronique blamed for excessive demands. United then signed Casemiro instead.