Manchester United's top 5 Transfer Signings in the last decade

#2 Robin Van Persie

Swansea City v Manchester United - Premier League

Sir Alex Ferguson masterminded the steal of the 2012/13 season and one of the coups of the Premier League era when he convinced Arsenal and Arsene Wenger to sell him Robin Van Persie. On 17th August, 2012, Van Persie joined United for £24m, an amount which would soon be repaid countless times.

He took up the Number 20 and come the end of the season, that number would give him legendary status among the United fans. Van Persie would go on to score 26 League goals and 30 goals in total, as United won their record 20th Premier League Title.

Van Persie would go on to win the Golden Boot in a season when his goals were the main reason United won the league. In his 3 years at United, Van Persie scored 58 goals in 105 appearances. He was a fabulous striker of the ball, with a perfect left foot, but he did not just score goals.

He was great in building up and often drifted to the wings to bring the midfielders into play. But it was his goals that gave him legendary status, including the last minute free-kick that won the Manchester Derby and ended City’s unbeaten run in the 2012/13 season; and that outrageous second goal in the game against Aston Villa, where he volleyed Rooney’s floating ball from behind the halfway line into the net.

He was rightly judged as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for the 2012/13 season.

Robin Van Persie was vital in the season that culminated in the last title won under Sir Alex Ferguson and in fact the last Premier League title Manchester United won. The love and adulation he enjoyed from United fans were evident when he returned to play against United as a Fenerbahce player in the Europa League group stages in 2016.

He was one of the last players signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in Scott’s long tenure at Old Trafford and he would certainly fit among some of the most influential players the legendary manager signed in his time.