The Red Devils have done some poor business in the transfer market under their American owners – but which players stand out as the worst?
After 18 years of protests, controversy, disillusion and division, the Glazer family's time in charge of football operations at Manchester United came to an end after Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS' purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club in early 2024.
United had been debt-free until the Glazers invested just £270 million (£346m) of their own money into the £790m ($1 billion) deal that saw them become new owners back in 2005, with the rest borrowed against the club. And the Glazers have been accused of using the Red Devils as a cash cow to fund their business empire in the United States ever since.
They haven't attempted to build any bridges with the United faithful either, rarely bothering to attend matches or push through Old Trafford expansion plans. Co-chairman Joel Glazer has overseen the business side of things for United from the comforts of his office in Washington, which serves as further proof of their status as absentee owners.
However, no one could ever accuse the Glazers of failing to invest in the first-team squad. United have spent over £2bn ($2.6bn) on new players since their arrival, including a club-record outlay of £210m ($269m) in the 2022 summer transfer window. And, United have won 13 major trophies under the American family, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League.
But regular silverware has proven hard to come by for the Red Devils since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure as manager in 2013, with most of the club's most high-profile signings proving to be huge disappointments. Money doesn't always guarantee success, as GOAL is here to highlight with our definitive ranking of United's biggest flop signings of the Glazer era:
Getty18Harry Maguire
Still the world's most-expensive defender, Harry Maguire has endured a rollercoaster ever since arriving at Old Trafford from Leicester City in a blockbuster £80m ($102m) deal in 2019. The England international was installed as United captain barely six months after joining the club, but he never looked like the right fit for a leadership role, and it was no surprise when he was stripped of the armband in the summer of 2023 after initially falling down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.
The record price tag has made Maguire an easy target for critics, with any glaring mistakes or unfortunate moments instantly pounced upon by fans on social media. The 31-year-old eventually won Ten Hag over through hard work and has become an early stalwart for Ruben Amorim, but he will never be an elite centre-back, and his continued presence in the United team only serves to further highlight how far they have fallen as a collective in recent years.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport17Anderson
Ferguson had his fair share of bad buys before bringing the curtain down on his glorious 26-year reign at Old Trafford, including Brazilian ace Anderson – who joined United from Porto for £26m ($33m) in the summer of 2007.
Anderson had been recommended to Ferguson by his brother Martin, who famously insisted that the midfielder was "better than Wayne Rooney". His debut campaign was encouraging enough, as he featured in 38 games to help United win a Premier League and Champions League double – albeit without scoring a single goal.
Fitness issues began to hamper Anderson thereafter, though, and he was unable to force his way back into United's starting XI ahead of Paul Scholes or Michael Carrick. Anderson was finally released in February 2015, and former Red Devils coach Mick Clegg later revealed the main reason behind his failure in Manchester.
"Anderson was more than capable of being an absolute stormer of a player," Clegg told . "He just needed his head knocking. He didn't keep fit. He chose not to put in the work, so it's hard to have too much sympathy for him. He was a party animal."
Getty Images16Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan was snapped up from Borussia Dortmund for £26m ($33m) in July 2016, and he had his moments during his two-year stay at United. The Armenia international scored six goals during the run to Europa League glory in his first season, including one in the final, and also netted a memorable scorpion kick in a Premier League clash against Sunderland.
But he also developed a reputation for going missing in the biggest games, and he eventually lost the favour of head coach Jose Mourinho before being sold to Arsenal in a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez. He also struggled for consistency with the Gunners, but has since shown the kind of form that initially attracted United to his talents in Serie A.
Getty Images Sport15Owen Hargreaves
United spent £17m (£22m) to sign Hargreaves from Bayern Munich in 2007, despite the fact he had missed the majority of his final season at Allianz Arena after suffering a broken leg. The gamble initially paid off as he enjoyed a solid debut campaign, which included a stellar Champions League final showing against Chelsea.
But the England international only made five more appearances for the Red Devils after that night in Moscow. Hargreaves' body began to let him down, and after two knee surgeries that failed to reignite his career, United released him in 2011. He went on to join United's arch-rivals Manchester City, but only played one league game before retiring at the age of 31.
In his second biography, Ferguson named Hargreaves as the worst signing of his tenure, writing: "He had definite value. But it was all lost in the fog of his lack of games."
