Manchester United's Best January Signings of the Premier League Era
On January 25, 2014, Manchester United fans got a temporary lift amid the gloom of David Moyes' first, and only, season in charge. After a summer transfer window that had promised much and delivered Marouane Fellaini, the new regime was determined to show the Red Devils could still attract top talent.
Juan Mata arrived in a helicopter as one of the most high-profile January signings in the club's modern history—or indeed ever. His presence was not enough to save the much-maligned former Everton manager's campaign, but the acquisition is one of the few positives to come out of the Moyes era.
Moyes' more illustrious predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson, was an occasional January shopper, preferring the more leisurely, measured summer market to the smash-and-grab midseason approach, but there were exceptions.
Some of these exceptions were underwhelming. Diego Forlan—goals against Liverpool aside—counts as perhaps the prime example. But there were a handful of signings who went on to provide tremendous service to United, writing their names into the club's history books with vital contributions to remarkable trophy hauls.
Let's take a look at the best of the bunch.
5. Louis Saha
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Louis Saha has an important role in United's history. Bought from Fulham in January 2004, the French striker was a key protagonist in an important off-pitch drama.
To be reductive about it, his on-pitch career was fine. He scored 42 goals in all competitions from 76 starts and a massive 48 substitute appearances. That is a pretty good scoring rate, and barring injury, there would have been more.
Most crucially, though, his presence in the squad allowed Sir Alex to make one of his most ruthless—and important—decisions. The Scot selected Saha ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooy for the League Cup final in 2006. From there spun the events that led to Van Nistelrooy leaving the club, which put Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo centre stage.
The rest is trophy-laden history.
It was Saha's performance level and quality that allowed Sir Alex to make that decision. While he was nowhere near the goalscorer Van Nistelrooy was, his fluid movement and superb combination play with Rooney made for an effective unit. Had injuries not blighted his time at the club, he may well have been higher up on this list, but fifth seems fair.
4. Juan Mata
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If United had won more than just an FA Cup and a Community Shield since Mata's arrival, he might have been higher up the list, but fourth place is no disgrace given the competition.
In the three years since his signing, he has played 118 games for the club, scoring 27 goals and notching 36 assists. That means he has scored or provided an assist at a rate of better than one every two games, a huge, inarguable contribution.
If he had arrived into a better team, it is easy to imagine those numbers being even better. He has given United fans moments of pure joy—his goals at Anfield in 2015, for example. But he has also proved himself an adaptable team player, never complaining even when used in less-than-ideal positions on the pitch.
His lovable off-field persona has endeared him to supporters around the world, but there is much more to Mata than a nice man who signs his blog off with the word "hugs" every week. Without his goals and assists, things would have been even more perilous.
If United are to thrive under Jose Mourinho, it seems likely that the man he sold to United in the first place will have a big say in that.
3. Patrice Evra
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Patrice Evra's profound love for Manchester United is well documented, not least on his magical Instagram account.
But it is not sentiment that earns him his impressive third-place spot here. Rather, it is the enormous contribution he made in United red to one of the club's most successful eras.
Signed from AS Monaco in January 2006 to provide competition for Gabriel Heinze at left-back, Evra struggled at first. Indeed, he and Nemanja Vidic—more on him later—are the key examples for both the challenges and benefits of midseason transfers.
On one hand, they both found it difficult to make an immediate contribution, but on the other, they were each more than ready when the beginning of the following season came around. The six-month bedding-in process served them well.
Evra was part of United's back four in Moscow for the Champions League triumph in 2008, and his boundless energy and relentless defensive enthusiasm was a key component of United's all-conquering team that season.
That was him at his best. He struggled a little in the later years of his time at United, getting caught upfield pretty often. When injuries meant Vidic and Rio Ferdinand could play together less often, he was a little exposed by his less-experienced central defenders. Equally, Ronaldo's departure in 2009 meant more attacking contribution was required of him.
Nonetheless, he is remembered with immense fondness at Old Trafford, both for his infectious personality and his stellar contributions when he was at his best. And among other things, no one will ever forget the goal he scored against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in his final season at the club.
2. Andy Cole
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In truth, picking between the top two was an impossible task. In order to do so, we turned to the democracy of Twitter. In a surprising turn of events, the vote was not particularly close, though it would be interesting to know the age breakdown of those who voted.
Recency may have played a part in Vidic's comfortable win. Because make no mistake, Andy Cole is a United great. Signed from Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United in January 1995, Cole went on to score 121 goals for the club, placing him 17th on the all-time list.
He won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League as a vital cog in United's treble-winning machine. It was Cole who scored the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the game that won United the league—the first of the three trophies they won in that magical 10-day spell in May 1999.
He got off to a fast start, scoring 12 goals in 17 starts between his arrival and the end of that season, but he suffered from second-season syndrome, scoring just 13 times in 41 starts and two substitute appearances in 1995/96. Injury blighted his third season, but upon his recovery, he started to show what he could do.
From 1997/98 to 1999/2000, he scored more than 20 goals per campaign, and 1998/99 saw the blooming of his wonderful partnership with Dwight Yorke.
Goals, trophies and a lot of great memories make Cole worthy of second place here.
1. Nemanja Vidic
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While it may be true that recency influenced the vote, few could argue that Vidic is worthy of his lofty position. At least, not to his face.
The Serb made 300 appearances for the Red Devils, 290 as a starter, and he was the club captain during Sir Alex's last few seasons. His trophy haul is mightily impressive—five Premier League titles, three League Cups, a Champions League and a Club World Cup.
He was the kind of defender fans love, a surrogate on the pitch for those who are convinced they would gladly put their bodies in harm's way for the cause. His towering defensive headers will live long in the memory, and he made a perfect steel foil for Ferdinand's elegant silk.
Their partnership is one of the finest in the club's history.
The manner of his departure may rankle. Allowing himself to be pictured signing his Inter Milan contract while still captaining United during a difficult season was not great public relations. But the thoughts of that have already begun to fade. In their stead are much happier memories, of tackles, of goals and of the Serbian lifting yet another trophy with a huge grin on his face.
Goal and appearance data per Website of Dreams.
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