Manchester United’s 25 Most Expensive Transfers Of All Time

Not many clubs have spent more money than Manchester United in the Premier League era.

But having deep pockets does not necessarily mean you’d win the titles. Man Utd are one of the best examples.

Throughout the years, the Red Devils have been able to afford many of the world’s most prominent names. Still, not many have lived up to the billing at Old Trafford.

During Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden era, so many world-class players plied their trade at Man Utd, turning the Theatre of Dreams into one of the most popular destinations on the planet.

But since Ferguson left the helm in 2013, an insane amount of money has been splurged on underperforming big guns in a helpless attempt to preserve the club’s household status in world football.

Below are the 25 most expensive Manchester United signings of all time.

1. Juan Sebastian Veron – €42.6m (Lazio, 2001)
2. Nemanja Matic – €44.7m (Chelsea, 2017)
3. Juan Mata – €44.7m (Chelsea, 2014)
4. Matthijs de Ligt – €45m (Bayern Munich, 2024)
5. Rio Ferdinand – €46m (Leeds United, 2002)
6. Manuel Ugarte – €50m (PSG, 2024)
7. Andre Onana – €50.2m (Inter Onana, 2023)
8. Aaron Wan-Bissaka – €55m (Crystal Palace, 2019)
9. Lisandro Martinez – €57.4m (Ajax, 2022)
10. Fred – €59m (Shakhtar Donetsk, 2018)
11. Anthony Martial – €60m (Monaco, 2015)
12. Leny Yoro – €62m (Lille, 2024)
13. Bruno Fernandes – €65m (Sporting CP, 2020)
14. Mason Mount – €67.7m (Chelsea, 2023)
15. Casemiro – €70.7m (Real Madrid, 2022)
16. Matheus Cunha – €74.2m (Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2025)
17. Angel Di Maria – €75m (Real Madrid, 2014)
18. Bryan Mbeumo – €75m (Brentford, 2025)
19. Benjamin Sesko – €76.5m (RB Leipzig, 2025)
20. Rasmus Hojlund – €77.8m (Atalanta, 2023)
21. Romelu Lukaku – €84.7m (Everton, 2017)
22. Jadon Sancho – €85m (Borussia Dortmund, 2021)
23. Harry Maguire – €87m (Leicester City, 2019)
24. Antony – €95m (Ajax, 2022)
25. Paul Pogba – €105m (Juventus, 2016)

Now, let’s see how Man Utd’s 25 most expensive signings ever panned out. 

#25 Juan Sebastian Veron – €42.6m (Lazio, 2001)

When Man Utd splashed out north of €40m to sign Veron, who had just won the Scudetto with Lazio, everyone thought he would be an ideal partner to Paul Scholes and Roy Keane.

However, the Argentine midfielder failed to settle at Old Trafford and after netting just seven goals in 57 Premier League outings, he left the club as a flop to join Chelsea, with United registering a massive capital loss.

#24 Nemanja Matic – €44.7m (Chelsea, 2017)

Jose Mourinho insisted on Matic’s arrival after taking charge in 2016, having previously made him the anchor of his midfield at Chelsea.

Matic spent five years at the club without winning a single piece of silverware, but it would be unfair to brand him as a flop, considering he delivered solid performances and provided the balance United had been lacking in midfield.

#23 Juan Mata – €44.7m (Chelsea, 2014)

After falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge, Mata swapped allegiances in the Premier League, moving to Manchester in a desperate attempt to get his faltering career back on track.

It proved a win-win deal for both parties, as the Spanish playmaker established himself as one of the club’s key players, winning two domestic cup titles and the UEFA Cup trophy in 2017.

#22 Matthijs de Ligt – €45m (Bayern Munich, 2024)

Opinions remain extremely divided over De Ligt, who has notoriously struggled with injuries since departing Bayern Munich to sign a multi-year contract with the Red Devils in 2024.

Despite his technical shortcomings, the Dutchman has been a reliable centre-back when fit. Unfortunately, those days have been few and far between due to his recurring injury problems.

Let’s see if he stays beyond the summer.

#21 Rio Ferdinand – €46m (Leeds United, 2002)

Undoubtedly one of the best signings in Man Utd history, Ferdinand remains the benchmark for centre-backs arriving with a hefty price tag, going on to become a cornerstone of one of the club’s most successful eras.

One of the greatest defenders of his generation, Ferdinand forged a formidable defensive partnership with Nemanja Vidic, forming one of the most dominant centre-back pairings in Premier League history.

#20 Manuel Ugarte – €50m (Paris Saint-Germain, 2024)

Ugarte is another panic acquisition made by the club, and the one that has not panned out, although, in all fairness, expectations were not high despite a substantial transfer fee.

It’s no coincidence Paris Saint-Germain didn’t think twice before cutting him loose after just one season. After two disappointing years in the Premier League, his career at Man Utd is now drawing to a sorrowful conclusion.

#19 Andre Onana – €50.2m (Inter Onana, 2023)

Erik ten Hag made countless errors during his underwhelming tenure at the Theatre of Dreams, including his decision to sever ties with David de Gea in favour of Onana’s arrival from Inter Milan.

Truth be told, the Cameroonian was nothing short of outstanding at San Siro. However, his time at Man Utd was an unmitigated disaster, as he quickly became meme content before leaving for Trabzonspor on loan last summer.

#18 Aaron Wan-Bissaka – €55m (Crystal Palace, 2019)

Wan-Bissaka was never famous for his attacking qualities, but his limitations in the final third were so painful to watch during his five-year stint at United that the club couldn’t wait to offload him to West Ham United in 2024.

Still, it wouldn’t be fair to categorise him as a failure. If you ask any Premier League forward, they’ll tell you Wan-Bissaka was one of the toughest defenders to beat in a one-on-one situation.

#17 Lisandro Martinez – €57.4m (Ajax, 2022)

Martinez’s arrival was met with plenty of skepticism, as concerns grew over whether his lack of height would prevent him from handling the physical demands of the Premier League.

Despite his undeniable passion and fighting spirit, recurring injuries have hindered his progress, though on a good day, he is still a defensive force to be reckoned with.

#16 Fred – €59m (Shakhtar Donetsk, 2018)

While enjoying a rise to stardom at Shakhtar Donetsk, Fred earned a reputation as one of the best ball-winning midfielders in Europe, making the Red Devils pay the Ukrainians a hefty €59m transfer fee in 2018.

But the 33-year-old’s patchy form at the Theatre of Dreams had brought him under heavy scrutiny, even though he continued to impress for Brazil’s national team.

Often accused of being too sloppy in possession, Fred occasionally bamboozled United fans with some spectacular performances, yet he ultimately left the club as a major letdown.

#15 Anthony Martial – €60m (Monaco, 2015)

When in form, Martial was a thorn in any defence’s side, with his tricky feet, pace and lethal scoring instincts making him a menace for the opposition defenders. At least, that’s why United signed him over a decade ago.

Having joined Man Utd as a winger from Monaco in 2015, the 26-year-old has often shifted positions alongside the frontline. His versatility allowed him to fill a multitude of roles in the attacking third.

However, like many other United forwards in the post-Ferguson era, Martial had struggled to deliver week in, week out before eventually falling out of favour and departing the club in 2024.

#14 Leny Yoro – €62m (Lille, 2024)

It has been two years since United splashed out €62m to lure Yoro away from Lille right under Florentino Perez’s nose, beating Real Madrid to the signature of one of Europe’s most highly rated youngsters at the time.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old’s proneness to injuries has prevented him from making the desired impact at Old Trafford, with his development repeatedly disrupted just as he began finding his feet in English football.

#13 Bruno Fernandes – €65m (Sporting CP, 2020)

Fernandes is by far the best piece of business pulled off by Man Utd since Ferguson’s departure 13 years ago. Signed from Sporting CP in January 2020, the Portuguese ace has grown to become one of the Premier League’s standout performers.

He single-handedly transformed an uneventful attacking crew into a potent force, racking up goals and assists almost for fun during his early days at Old Trafford.

In addition to earning the captain’s armband, Fernandes has truly become the beating heart of the current Man Utd team. Setting a new Premier League record for the most assists in one season perhaps best illustrates his creative brilliance.

#12 Mason Mount – €67.7m (Chelsea, 2023)

Mount may have shown plenty of early promise in West London, but his career was on a downward trajectory towards the end of his Chelsea career, raising doubts over Man Utd’s decision to offer him an escape route from the Bridge.

To date, he has done little to silence his detractors, with lengthy injury layoffs playing a significant role in the playmaker’s lacklustre three-year spell at the club.

#11 Casemiro – €70.7m (Real Madrid, 2022)

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The high-profile arrival of Casemiro from Real Madrid broke up a long-serving midfield trio at Santiago Bernabeu.

Playing alongside Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, the Brazilian deep-lying midfielder won everything there was to win with Los Blancos, including five Champions League titles.

He was an instrumental figure in all five of Madrid’s Champions League triumphs and brought that winning mentality to Old Trafford, helping instill a new level of belief within the Man Utd squad over the past four years.

#10 Matheus Cunha – €74.2m (Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2025)

Pressured to address frustrating scoring problems after finishing 15th in the 2024/25 Premier League season, United triggered Cunha’s eye-watering release clause at Wolverhampton last summer.

To label Cunha’s first season at Man Utd as a resounding success would be an exaggeration, yet the Brazilian’s tally of ten goals and four assists across 33 league appearances helped the club return to the Champions League.

#9 Angel Di Maria – €75m (Real Madrid, 2014)

Who would have thought that after excelling in Madrid, Di Maria would be such a disappointment in the Premier League?

Man Utd paid Los Blancos a then-British record transfer fee of €75m to take the Argentine forward away from La Liga in 2014.

Di Maria was voted Manchester United’s Player of the Month in September 2014 after clocking up two goals and two assists in his first four appearances for the club.

But at the end of the season, he left the Red Devils to join PSG, with the Daily Telegraph naming him the worst signing of the 2014/15 campaign.  

#8 Bryan Mbeumo – €75m (Brentford, 2025)

Mbeumo’s rise to prominence at Brentford made him one of the most sought-after forwards in the Premier League, and the Red Devils prised him away from the capital to pair him up with Cunha.

It proved to be a wise choice, as the left-footed star established himself as a focal point of United’s attack, offering the pace and goal threat the team had been desperately lacking.

#7 Benjamin Sesko – €76.5m (RB Leipzig, 2025)

Despite blowing hot and cold in 2025/26, Sesko stepped up when United needed him most, going from strength to strength in the second half of the season to inspire the club to a third-place finish.

Skeptics would be quick to point to his unenviable 11-goal haul, but the impact was enormous, with the 23-year-old striker scoring numerous vital goals in Man Utd’s quest to return to Europe’s top table.

#6 Rasmus Hojlund – €77.8m (Atalanta, 2023)

As Premier League clubs went on an attacking spending spree in the summer of 2023, Man Utd followed suit, committing a hefty fee to bring Hojlund in after spending weeks negotiating his transfer with Atalanta.

Little did they know the Danish centre-forward would find the net just 26 times in 95 games before returning to Serie A to join Napoli on loan with an obligatory buyout clause last summer.

#5 Romelu Lukaku – €84.7m (Everton, 2017)

Another overpaid underachiever. Romelu Lukaku was a goalscoring machine at Everton and one of the fiercest No.9s in the Premier League before joining Man Utd in a blockbuster €84.7m deal in 2017.

Often played out of position under Jose Mourinho, the Belgian star endured a thoroughly underwhelming spell at Old Trafford, frequently being subjected to mockery from home and hostile fans alike.

Loose touches, poor ball control and erratic finishing turned him into a scapegoat at United, forcing him to leave the club for Inter Milan in 2019 to reignite his career.

#4 Jadon Sancho – €85m (Borussia Dortmund, 2021)

It took Man Utd almost two years of unrelenting efforts to convince Borussia Dortmund to sell then-prodigious forward Jadon Sancho in another big-money deal.

The long-running transfer saga finally came to a close in 2021 as the Red Devils broke the bank to acquire the services of one of the hottest English talents.

It has turned out that tearing apart Bundesliga defences is a much easier task than finding the same success against Premier League backlines. He has never found his feet at Old Trafford and is finally set to leave the club as a transfer misfire.

#3 Harry Maguire – €87m (Leicester City, 2019)

Few Man Utd players have divided opinion quite like Maguire. While some see him as a minor concern in a much bigger crisis, others argue he symbolises deeper problems at the club.

When the Red Devils poured €87m into Leicester City’s coffers, a world-record amount for a defender, back in 2019, they must have thought a new Vidic was coming to town.

Instead, Maguire’s comic defensive howlers and poor giveaways have often made headlines at the expense of his rare moments of brilliance. Still, it’s hard to dispute that he has gradually improved over the years.

#2 Antony – €95m (Ajax, 2022)

Man Utd broke the bank to land one of Ten Hag’s top targets from Ajax in the final days of summer 2022 for a staggering €95m.

The 22-year-old Brazilian winger starred in Amsterdam during the Dutchman’s trophy-laden managerial stint at the Johan Cruyff Arena, growing into one of the hottest prospects in world football.

After racking up 24 goals and 22 assists from 82 competitive appearances for Ajax, Antony was expected to become a poster boy for a new era at the Theatre of Dreams.

It was nothing like that.

#1 Paul Pogba – €105m (Juventus, 2016)

The bizarre case of Paul Pogba should serve as a lesson for the future. Before deciding to make someone your most expensive signing of all time, better make sure to check his interest in the game first.

At Juventus, the Frenchman was a midfield monster. Goals, assists, delightful playmaking moments and tactical awareness turned him into an elite midfielder.

Yet, at Man Utd, Pogba was not a shadow of the player who used to tear Serie A backlines apart and take France to World Cup glory in 2018.

He was United’s most talented outfield player, but his lackadaisical attitude overshadowed his on-field performances.

Juventus welcomed him on a free transfer in 2022, and it wasn’t a pretty reunion by any means.