Ranking Manchester United's Top 10 Summer Transfers of the Past 10 Years
The summer transfer market has become a collective obsession for many Manchester United fans over the past couple of seasons. It has been full of twists and turns, as United have acquired global superstars and relative unknowns, freely splashing the cash, to use tabloid parlance.
But over the past 10 years, who have been the best of those acquisitions? From the summer of 2005 onward, who have been the players who have made the most difference, brought the most joy and lived up to their billing at Old Trafford?
Since this is just summer transfers, it rules out Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra—who may well have been No. 1 and No. 2 if eligible. There are many good players to choose from, though, and unlucky to miss out are:
- Phil Jones—who misses out because of doubts about his development and ability to stay fit.
- Nani—out because of inconsistency and poor form in his last couple of seasons at the club.
- Park Ji-Sung—a superb engine and made a big contribution to United but misses out because of a slight lack of technical quality in the final third.
- Owen Hargreaves—vital during the 2007/08 season, United's best in the past decade, but he's left out because of the injury-enforced decline that followed.
- Bastian Schweinsteiger—his impact will be relatively short term, and its success will depend on whether United win trophies during his time at the club.
There are a few more recent signings on the list, which is of course something of a gamble, but hopefully the logic of their inclusion will be clear. The weighting is measured not just in terms of proven impact over time—though that helps—but on how clearly a signing appears to meet United's current needs.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top 10.
10. Morgan Schneiderlin
1 of 10
Morgan Schneiderlin's signing was eminently sensible because for a relatively reasonable fee—in the context of the inflated transfer fees of 2015—United have handled the succession planning for Michael Carrick's eventual departure.
He makes the list in spite of how early it is in his United career because, barring disaster, he will be a steady presence in the Red Devils' midfield for a long time to come.
During his last few years with the club, Sir Alex Ferguson, for all his many qualities, never quite got succession planning right in midfield right. Anderson, Darron Gibson, Tom Cleverley—none of these players were able to replace the greats whom they followed.
Replacing Carrick is easier than replacing Paul Scholes or Roy Keane—both of whom count among the best of all time in a way that Carrick does not. Effective passing, a calm head, good technical ability—Schneiderlin has all this in his locker in addition to a physical approach Carrick does not have.
Easier than replacing Scholes or Keane it might be, but getting succession planning right is tricky, and when it is done correctly, it is worthy of praise.
9. Anthony Martial
2 of 10
It could still all go wrong, of course. United have taken an enormous gamble on a young player, and the vagaries of life are such that there is still no guarantee of success.
But early as it is, and excessively giddy as it might be to include a teenager who has played for United 13 times in a top 10 signings of the past 10 years list, it is frankly impossible not to. It took a good deal of restraint to put him in the list this far down.
Anthony Martial's incredible debut goal could have been a flash in the pan, but so far it looks anything but. His spectacular assist for Olivier Giroud on national-team duty for France on Friday was another example of his huge quality. His all-round performances have been mightily impressive and shown truly exciting potential.
If an equivalent list to this is published in 10 years' time, it would be hard to bet against Martial topping it. As it is, he is above Schneiderlin because, frankly, he is much easier to get excited about.
8. Luke Shaw
3 of 10
Luke Shaw's early-season form during this campaign showed just why United invested so heavily in the youngster in 2014.
The £27 million spent to buy him was a substantial outlay, but it showed long-term thinking. If he could cope with the step up and adapt, Shaw could become United's left-back for a generation.
After an up-and-down first season, he had clearly found his feet. Assuming he comes back from injury without having lost anything, he can still be United's left-back for a very long time to come.
He nudges ahead of Martial for having had a full season to bed in and having done so as well as he has.
7. Ander Herrera
4 of 10
The highest ranked of the Louis van Gaal-era signings on the list, Ander Herrera has made 31 starts and 12 substitute appearances for United so far. He has often been sacrificed by Van Gaal. However, from the outside looking in, it is hard to understand why. After all, in Herrera, United finally have a creative, attack-minded box-to-box midfielder again. It has been a while.
In spite of Van Gaal's reticence to build a team around Herrera, he is a vital member of the squad already, and it seems likely that whoever follows the Dutchman will be very grateful for his presence at United. The fans certainly are.
He is the highest ranked of the Van Gaal-era signings because he has played the most football for United of any of those on the list and is in his prime, meaning there is less risk of him not developing further from here on out.
6. Carlos Tevez
5 of 10
Before Carlos Tevez was hated by United fans, he was absolutely beloved. Arriving from West Ham United in the summer of 2007, Tevez's boundless energy and driven will to win made him a star at Old Trafford.
For two seasons, he was a vital part of Sir Alex's last truly great side. United were fired to a Champions League win in 2008 and another trip to the final in 2009 by a Cristiano Ronaldo-led front line. Tevez was a crucial component of the supporting cast.
It ended in ignominy, of course—the crowd's cries of "Fergie sign him up" falling on deaf ears. Tevez made the move across town to Manchester City and the rest is history. History that left a a bitter aftertaste.
However, while he plied his trade in red, he was a hero, and he made a very big difference. As with all the players on the list from here on upward, Tevez outranks the more recent signings on the basis of having contributed to winning silverware.
5. Dimitar Berbatov
6 of 10
Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez's fates at United were linked—it was the arrival of the Bulgarian that saw for Tevez's time at the club. Sir Alex could afford to let Tevez leave because he still had Berbatov.
If they were linked by the fates, it was as opposite sides of a coin. Tevez was a mass of compact muscle and industry; Berbatov was a languid, strolling magician able to make a football do ridiculous things.
Ultimately, his United career petered out because, in the absence of Tevez and Ronaldo, there simply was not enough industry around to carry the Bulgarian's brilliance. When Michael Owen was preferred on the bench for the 2011 Champions League final, it was evident Berbatov's goose was cooked.
However, he gets a lofty ranking on this list because he hung in a good deal longer than Tevez and watching Dimitar Berbatov play football is one of the great joys of life.
There were plenty of moments of individual brilliance, such as his otherworldly assist for Ronaldo against West Ham United in 2008, when he, well, did something almost impossible to put into words on the touchline to beat the defender before laying a cross for Ronnie on a plate. Moves such as that make life more beautiful, and for his ability to provide them, Berbatov earns his place at No. 5.
4: Chris Smalling
7 of 10
A year ago, Chris Smalling would not have cracked the top 10 of this list. Now, though, he has thoroughly earned his place as one of United's most important signings of the past decade.
The subject of succession planning is once again raised when discussing Smalling. He and Jones were brought to the club at a young age to learn under the wings of Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. Jones is not there yet, but Smalling's consistency over the past calendar year means he belongs in the discussion of the great centre-backs in the contemporary game.
His longevity at the club and importance is what has him this high up the list.
3: Robin van Persie
8 of 10
As everyone knows, it did not end well. Neither David Moyes nor Van Gaal could rekindle the magic, but in that one season, that one, touched-by-magic season, Robin van Persie's arrival was pure alchemy.
Unlike Tevez and Berbatov, Van Persie did not arrive into a great United side. Yes, they had been to a Champions League final in 2011, but the draw had been favourable, and the final showed just how far the gap between the Red Devils and the world's best had grown.
The heartbreak of the last day of the 2011/12 season was still raw, but Van Persie chose United over City that summer and everything changed.
It was a dose of pure, undiluted, football fate. Sir Alex got to leave on a high because Van Persie blasted United to the title. For that, he most certainly deserves his spot among the top three signings of the past decade.
2: David De Gea
9 of 10
It took Sir Alex a long time to replace Peter Schmeichel. It took him a lot less time to replace Edwin van der Sar. In order to do so, he took a gamble on a young Spanish kid who had impressed with Atletico Madrid.
In summer 2011, Sir Alex said, per Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail:
"I went to see Petr Cech when he was at Rennes. He was 19 at the time and I said to myself, 'He's too young.'
But Chelsea bought him [for £7 million in 2004] and he's never been out of the team. So age doesn't matter when you have the ability of a goalkeeper like Petr Cech or, we know, David De Gea has. He's young, he's quick, he has fantastic presence and composure. His use of the ball is outstanding so all of these are things that don't go away.
"
They have not gone away. In fact, De Gea has grown into a truly exceptional 'keeper. United owe him their presence in this season's Champions League, and if Van Gaal is to win silverware at Old Trafford, he will surely be grateful for Sir Alex's gamble.
His importance over a number of seasons is what helps place him above Van Persie, and if he stays at the club long enough to add to his one Premier League medal, he could yet top one of these lists in the future.
1: Michael Carrick
10 of 10
The reason that Schneiderlin can prop up the list at No. 10 on the basis of being an effective replacement for Carrick is because of how important Carrick has been to United since his arrival in the summer of 2006.
338 starts and 54 substitute appearances later, Carrick has five Premier League titles, a League Cup, a Club World Cup and a Champions League win under his belt.
He still has plenty of detractors, but his admirers have grown in volume over his time at United. In December 2014, speaking to BT Sport (h/t BBC Sport), Sir Alex said of him, "I think Michael's the best central midfielder in English football; I think he's the best English player in the game."
Carrick's trophy cabinet befits his importance to United. Almost a decade of service earns him his well-deserved place at No. 1 on this list.
All appearance data via the Website of Dreams.
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