Ranking 5 most disappointing Manchester United signings of the last decade
Manchester United recently completed the signings of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane (subject to medical) and are being linked with a host of top-class players across Europe. While United are well known for producing talented academy graduates, the Red Devils have made plenty of big-name signings over the years.
After the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, Manchester United are going through a rebuild. All the managers coming in after Sir Alex made signings according to their style of play. Some of these signings turned out to be great, others not so much.
Manchester United spending heavy on signings
Since 2013, Manchester United have been trying out different strategies with different managers in the transfer market. United have made four of the five most expensive transfers in Premier League history.
They have broken the bank for the big-money signings of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Maguire and more recently Jadon Sancho. During this time period, Manchester United have spent close to one billion pounds on signings. Obviously, there's been a lot of hits and misses for them as well.
Here's a look at five of the worst signings for Manchester United in the last decade.
#5 Bastian Schweinsteiger | Midfielder
When Bastian Schweinsteiger signed for Manchester United in 2015, fans hoped the World Cup-winning midfielder would dazzle the Old Trafford faithful. But his stint at United was marred by injuries. The then 30-year-old saw himself on the sidelines with long-term injuries under manager Louis van Gaal. After winning multiple trophies with Bayern Munich in Germany, Schweinsteiger failed to replicate his form in the physically demanding Premier League.
Schweinsteiger was one of the signings made by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, which had more to do with his status as a big-name signing than a player that fit the culture and the style of play at Manchester United.
In the words of Mr. Woodward, Schweinsteiger was a signing that would "send shivers down their spine." But it wasn't meant to be and soon Van Gaal was sacked, with Jose Mourinho appointed as his successor. Schweinsteiger then saw his game time considerably reduced. He eventually made the move to the Chicago Fire in the MLS in 2017.
#4 Morgan Schneiderlin | Midfielder
Morgan Schneiderlin was also one of the signings made in the 2015/16 summer window to reinforce United's aging midfield under Louis van Gaal. The defensive midfielder came in from Southampton having spent seven years with the club, gaining valuable Premier League experience. Many thought he was ready to take a step up to a bigger club, but Manchester United proved to be too big a club for him.
The Frenchman made only 39 appearances under Van Gaal in all competitions, and when the Dutch manager was sacked, Schneiderlin failed to create an impression on his successor Jose Mourinho.
The following season, he made just 8 appearances in all competitions, with just 11 minutes in the Premier League. During the January transfer window for the 2016-17 season, he made the switch to Everton, ending a painful 18 months for him at the club.