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Manchester United or the Red Devils, as admiringly called by football lovers around the globe, have constantly been involved in the buying and selling of some of the star players ever.
The Theater of Dreams has been a launchpad for numerous legendary players that went down in the sport's history book. At the same time, it has also been a welcoming home for prodigies who wish to grow up in the red jersey. Cristiano Ronaldo is a prime example of the same.
Over the course of years, the English giants have been involved in some of the most massive transfers that football has ever seen. Speaking of which, let us discuss some of the biggest sales in the history of Manchester United.
#5 Henrikh Mkhitaryan | Manchester United to Arsenal (€34m) | 2018
A high-profile swap in 2018 saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez switch sides. A strong name within the young legions of Borussia Dortmund, Henrikh Mkhitaryan grew up under the Bundesliga outfit's favorite manager — Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester United landed a much awaited transfer to bring Mkhitaryan to England. However, a lack of playing time and indefinite playing roles forced the Armenian to look for better turf.
Arsenal seemed perfect for the former Signal Iduna Park native, who moved to the Emirates Stadium without a single doubt. Although Alexis Sanchez got the best out of the swap-deal among the duo, the sale remains the fifth most in Manchester United's history.
#4 David Beckham | Manchester United to Real Madrid (€37.5 m) | 2003
Arguably the most marketable footballer of all time — David Beckham, ended up being one of the most famous Galacticos in Real Madrid's money-splashing era.
A thorough gentleman with a handsome face and infinite talent could be an asset to any team. David Beckham's off-field fame helped Manchester United grab the Asian market in terms of profitability.
After spending the majority of his career in the red jersey, the former England international accepted an unrefusable offer from the Santiago Bernabeu. In the process of breaking headlines following the switch, Beckham earned Manchester United enough to fatten their wallets.
David Beckham enjoyed a productive stint at Real Madrid just as with Manchester United. He later joined LA Galaxy.
#3 Angel Di Maria | Manchester United to PSG (€63m)
Angel Di Maria arrived in England following a much-anticipated move that raised Old Trafford fans' expectations. His switch from Real Madrid came after scintillating Copa del Rey and La Decima victories where he ended up as the best man on the pitch on both occasions.
Donning the 'cursed' number 7 shirt for United, Di Maria struggled under Jose Mourinho who kept switching his playing positions and roles. As time passed, both Di Maria and the United fans grew unhappy with the Argentine's role at the club.
Despite being considered one of the below-par signings by the 20-time EPL champs, PSG paid handsomely to grab Di Maria for their side. The swap turned out to be good for the former Real Madrid number 11 as he has once again found his rhythm with the Parisians.
#2 Romelu Lukaku | Manchester United to Inter Milan (€74m)
Belgium's all-time top goalscorer ended up as another unhappy player to leave the club while earning them big bucks.
Romelu Lukaku's arrival at Old Trafford after a stint of promising seasons with Everton was labeled an 'absolute bargain'. He spent two years with the 20-time champs and scored a total of 42 goals off 96 games in all competitions.
Lukaku expressed his desire to leave the club while under Jose Mourinho. The Belgian forward tied the reason to being tired of constantly ending up as the scapegoat for the club's poor performances.
Antonio Conte and Inter Milan came forward to rope in Lukaku. Lukaku ended up being Inter Milan's most expensive signing in the process.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United to Real Madrid (€94m)
In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo bid farewell to Old Trafford by leaving millions of fans in tears. The Portuguese forward has been cited as their greatest manager, Alex Ferguson's, best ever finding.
The Portuguese captain started living his dream at Manchester United. And in 2009 when Real Madrid came knocking on their door, the club and the player had to accept the offer in the best interest of all the parties involved.
Ronaldo occupied the media's front page for days to come and became the — then most expensive player in the history of football.
He had a dream run at his new club and conquered Europe after kissing every trophy that he could. Cristiano eventually left for Juventus in 2018. Till date, the voids he left at both the clubs remain.
This concludes our list of top 5 sales done by Manchester United. Who, according to you, has been the club's best bargain?
