Man Utd's most expensive signings ever

Manchester United is an institution that prides itself on harnessing homegrown talent.

The two defining figures of the club, Sirs Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson, insisted upon the importance of youth. The last time Manchester United's matchday squad didn't include a former academy player was before the outbreak of the Second World War.

However, that hasn't stopped the most successful club in English football from dipping their toe into the market. In fact, United have broken the British transfer record on no fewer than six occasions.

Here are the most expensive talents that have been fielded alongside the club's homegrown gems.

Man Utd's most expensive signings ever

15. Aaron Wan-Bissaka - £45m

For the sake of tallying up United's most expensive acquisitions, it's only fair to look at the initial fee paid by the Red Devils, and not the add-ons which are largely unknown. That base fee was £45m for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who arrived at Old Trafford in 2019.

The fact that the right-back was United's fifth most expensive signing at the time and now sits 15th tells you everything you need to know about the club's spending patterns over the past five years.

Wan-Bissaka arrived as a raw 21-year-old from Crystal Palace but hasn't quite enjoyed the career that supporters would have hoped for upon his arrival.

14. Bruno Fernandes - £46.5m

When Bruno Fernandes was presented with the choice of Boavista or Porto as a seven-year-old, he opted for the less established former as the club offered free transport via minibus and neither of his parents could drive.

The £46.5m fee which Manchester United paid Sporting CP proved to be just as convincing as childhood convenience.

Having now frequently captained the club and dazzled Old Trafford with his excellent playmaking abilities, it's safe to say it was money well spent from a Man Utd perspective.

13. Fred - £47m

Following his lucrative move from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2018, which was initially believed to be worth £54m, Fred endured a mixed reception from United's fanbase.

With all of the criticism clearly weighing on him, Fred reasoned: "I know I’m not the best player, not the most technical, but I give my blood and my life every time I’m on the pitch."

However, the indefatigable midfielder failed to win over the club's supporters, eventually exiting in 2023 after five years of inconsistency.

12. Andre Onana - £47.2m

Having shone for Inter over several seasons, capped by an excellent Champions League final display in 2022/23, Andre Onana was snapped up by United for a big fee - becoming the club's most expensive goalkeeper in the process.

To say the start of his career in Manchester was underwhelming would be an understatement, with the nervy Cameroonian enduring some high-profile gaffes in his opening few months in England.

While he has improved as time has passed, he's still yet to reach his potential in United colours.

11. Lisandro Martinez - £48.3m

'A 5'9 centre-back in the Premier League, you must be kidding!?'

Well, United certainly weren't messing around when signing Lisandro Martinez in 2022, with the now World Cup winner following Erik ten Hag to Old Trafford from Ajax.

The Argentine's size and stature may be memeable, but his ferocious defensive style has rightly earned him the nickname 'The Butcher'. When injury-free, he's been impressive in the heart of defence.

10. Leny Yoro - £52.2m

INEOS' arrival at Old Trafford has promised an era of more sensible and well-reasoned signings, with Leny Yoro a prime example of their ambitions. The 18-year-old set United back a whopping £52.2m, but could be considered a bargain in several years' time.

The elegant defender, who has drawn comparison to William Saliba, has immense potential, and should form an impressive centre-back partnership with Martinez.

9. Mason Mount - £55m

Mason Mount's 18-year spell at Chelsea came to an end at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, with the energetic midfielder trading Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford. After some impressive seasons with the Blues, £55m certainly didn't seem an absurd amount of money for the England international.

However, injuries, inconsistency and a chaotic dressing room didn't help him settle swiftly in Manchester, and he still has an awful lot to prove in the years to come following a torrid debut campaign.

8. Angel Di Maria - £59.7m

Angel Di Maria may never have wanted to leave Real Madrid but he started life at Man Utd in brilliant form, directly contributing to seven goals in his first six appearances.

However, Di Maria scored his final Premier League goal in October, hurriedly concluding his stay in England after one season which was tainted by a home invasion that "made ​​me want to leave there quickly".

7. Casemiro - £60m

As Brentford frolicked in the energy-sapping heat, rattling four first-half goals past Manchester United on the second weekend of the 2022/23 season, Casemiro fired off a text to his agent.

Three days earlier, Casemiro had already collected his first trophy of the season, winning the UEFA Super Cup with Real Madrid. However, he vowed to "fix" the dire situation at Manchester United, encouraging his representatives to force through a £60m move.

The Brazil star shone during his first season in England, but the curtains appear to be closing on his time at the elite level.

6. Rasmus Hojlund - £64m

£64m (potentially rising to £72m) is an astronomical sum to splash on a young forward who had scored just nine goals during his breakout season in Serie A. But United saw something in the Dane and quickly signed him up from Atalanta.

The forward has plenty of room for improvement but his excellent speed, muscular frame and powerful left boot still make him a handful for opposition centre-halves.

5. Jadon Sancho - £72.6m

In the summer of 2021, Jadon Sancho was the most expensive jewel in the crown of a transfer window lauded as one of the greatest in the club's history.

Arriving alongside serial winner Raphael Varane and returning demigod Cristiano Ronaldo, Sancho promised to be a star of the present and future. Within four months of the new season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been sacked.

Since then, Sancho has come to blows with his successor Ten Hag, with a public feud forcing him out on loan back to Borussia Dortmund for the second half of the 2023/24 season.

4. Romelu Lukaku - £75m

No player in the history of the sport has amassed a larger sum of combined transfer fees than the eminently desirable Romelu Lukaku. The burly Belgian cracked nine digits for the first time following his £75m move from Everton to United in 2017 but would add to his eye-watering tally with subsequent arrivals at Inter and Chelsea.

Across two seasons at Old Trafford, Lukaku scored 28 Premier League goals - only marginally better than the 25 he managed during his final campaign at Everton.

3. Harry Maguire - £80m

Harry Maguire had not racked up double digits in Manchester United's famous strip before he was first handed the captain's armband.

Officially promoted to skipper on a permanent basis halfway through his debut season at the club, Maguire had to carry the burden of leadership and the tag of the world's most expensive defender. The pressure ultimately took its toll.

The centre-back has drifted in and out of the United XI during more recent times, but it's fair to say he's unlikely to ever live up to his £80m price tag.

2. Antony - £81.3m

The most expensive sale in the history of the Dutch top flight was raised well below the poverty line in a Brazilian favela known as 'Little Hell'. Without money for boots, Antony remembers playing "on bleeding feet".

However, that didn't hamper his flair. "I would elastico the drug dealers," he said. "Rainbow the bus drivers. Nutmeg the thieves." United splashed the cash in the hope that Antony could have the same success against Premier League opponents.

He certainly hasn't so far.

1. Paul Pogba - £89m

Paul Pogba's late agent Mino Raiola claimed that he was "worth twice as much as Gareth Bale" in 2014. When the French midfielder returned to United in the summer of 2016, he did eclipse Bale's world-record fee but only narrowly, commanding £89m.

A feud between Raiola and United's legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson - who described himself and the agent as "oil and water" - led to Pogba's first Old Trafford exit in 2012. United received just £800,000 in compensation four years before paying more than 100 times that fee for a player that never recaptured the form he showed for Juventus, and eventually lost him on a free.

Man Utd's most expensive signings of all-time

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