Top 10 alternative signings Manchester United could have made

#3 Toni Kroos instead of Morgan Schneiderlin

What could have been

Another player to graduate from Southampton's impressive academy and then sold on to a bigger club, Morgan Schneiderlin joined United in the summer of 2015. Schneiderlin was a decent player, although he had many good attributes - none great.

However, investing in the younger Frenchman seemed like a good move, with United still needing reinforcements in central midfield. Schneiderlin lasted just eighteen months before being sold to Everton.

Hard to say exactly why his move to United didn't work; van Gaal had bought him, then almost immediately seemed to not fancy playing him. With a handful of sloppy performances and just one goal, he didn't contribute much to the team, and Mourinho quickly got rid of him.

The ongoing central midfield issue should have been solved much sooner, if not 12 months prior, when Real Madrid had made one of the best transfers of the decade.

In 2014, Real Madrid had signed Toni Kroos for £25 million, in what has turned out to be an absolute bargain, seems even better now with inflated transfer fees.

Kroos is the complete midfielder, a UEFA team of the year regular, multiple league title winner, and the first German to win three UEFA Champions League trophies. Kroos has been at the heart of what Real Madrid have accomplished since he signed.

United should have acted like Real Madrid, though a move to Madrid can only be tempting for a player, (the tough competition from Madrid for his signature keeps Kroos at #3)

United should have done all they could to sign someone of Kroos' quality, and United have paid for sub-par transfers since then; while Kroos, still, only 28, remains one of the best midfielders in the world.