Man Utd’s 25 most expensive transfers of all time

Man Utd’s 25 most expensive transfers of all time Make us your Google favourite Manchester United have heavily been criticised in numerous areas since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, however their transfer investment has been huge during that time as they continue their pursuit of returning to former glories. Man Utd have consistently been among the biggest spenders in the transfer market over the last 10 years, bringing in world-famous stars on a yearly basis. However, many of these high-profile signings have failed to produce the goods at Old Trafford. Below, sources runs through the 25 most expensive Man Utd signings in history. 25. Juan Mata - €44.7m (from Chelsea, 2014) Competition for places was rife at Chelsea in 2014 and Juan Mata was an unfortunate victim of this as he was allowed to leave for Man Utd. The Spaniard was a reliable servant at Old Trafford, scoring 51 goals in 285 games, and who could forget his sensational bicycle-kick against Liverpool at Anfield? 24. Matthijs de Ligt - €45m (from Bayern, 2024) After big money moves to Juventus and Bayern Munich, Matthijs de Ligt finally ended up in the Premier League following a €45m transfer to Man Utd in 2024. He arrived at the request of compatriot Erik ten Hag, but the Dutchman was soon sacked much to De Ligt's frustration. 23. Rio Ferdinand - €46m (from Leeds, 2002) Rio Ferdinand was the kind of signing that Sir Alex Ferguson made a habit of; identifying the best young English talent available and snapping them up. The ex-West Ham and Leeds defender was exceptional on the ball but was also a leader and together with Nemanja Vidic created one of the best central defensive pairings in Premier League history. He won six English top flight titles at Old Trafford. 22. Manuel Ugarte - €50m (from PSG, 2024) Man Utd had been desperate for an agile central midfielder for a while and many fans thought Manuel Ugarte was the answer upon his arrival in 2024. Unfortunately, PSG boss Luis Enrique was happy to offload him for €50m and he has failed to cement a place in Man Utd's preferred starting XI during his time at Old Trafford. 21. Andre Onana - €50.2m (from Inter, 2023) After allowing David de Gea to leave the club, Man Utd turned to Andre Onana as his replacement, following a fantastic spell at Inter Milan. However, he was a disaster at Old Trafford and he was loaned out to Trabzonspor in both 2025 and 2026. 20. Aaron Wan-Bissaka - €55m (from Crystal Palace, 2019) Man Utd gambled on Aaron Wan-Bissaka's potential in 2019, paying a whopping €55m to lure him away from Crystal Palace. However, his lack of technical quality soon became an issue at Old Trafford and he joined West Ham on a permanent deal in 2024. 19. Andrey Santos - €56.3m (from Chelsea, 2026) Andrey Santos shone during a loan spell at Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, but he struggled to work his way into Chelsea's preferred starting XI upon his return to Stamford Bridge. After playing a bit-part role in 2025-26, he sought an exit and soon secured a €56.3m move to Man Utd. 18. Lisandro Martinez - €57.4m (from Ajax, 2022) Lisandro Martinez was one of several players to follow Erik ten Hag to Man Utd from Ajax, with the Dutchman desperate to bring his star centre-back with him. The Argentina international was widely criticised for his lack of height during his debut season in the Premier League, but he has been a fine signing for Man Utd, despite his lofty price tag. 17. Fred - €59m (from Shakhtar, 2018) Man Utd beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to the €59m signing of Fred in 2018 and it was seen as a real coup at the time. However, he soon became a much-maligned figure and after five years of underwhelming form, the Brazilian was sold to Fenerbahce. 16. Anthony Martial - €60m (from Monaco, 2015) Anthony Martial's start to life at United couldn't have gone much better, coming off the bench at Old Trafford to score a remarkable solo goal against arch-rivals Liverpool. However, that was his highlight in a Red Devils shirt and although he netted an impressive 90 goals for the club, the Frenchman drastically fell out of favour and was allowed to leave on a Bosman deal in 2024. 15. Leny Yoro - €62m (from Lille, 2024) Leny Yoro was considered to be one of the best young centre-backs in the world when he put pen to paper on his Man Utd contract. Real Madrid were originally expected to sign him, but Man Utd won the race for his signature after agreeing a €