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#3 Peter Schmeichel
Manchester United's signing of Peter Schmeichel for a fee of £505,000 in 1991 was quoted as the bargain of the century by Alex Ferguson back then. The 'Great Dane' was a very important player for Brondby in the Danish Superliga from 1987 to 1991.
He won the league four times with them in the five seasons he spent with them. That and some impressive performances in the UEFA Cup earned him a transfer to Manchester United.
The signing turned out to be a fruitful one almost immediately as the Dane helped Manchester United win the Premier League in the 1992-93 season. Schmeichel kept 18 clean sheets that season, helping United win the top division title after 26 years.
In total, Schmeichel went on to win the Premier League five times, the FA Cup three times, the European Super Cup once and the UEFA Champions League as well. Schmeichel was not only a great shot-stopper but his command inside the box was incredible.
One of Schmeichel's most unique qualities was his threat from set-pieces. Throughout his entire career, the Danish goalkeeper scored 11 goals in total, quite an unusual stat for a goalkeeper.
After winning the treble with Manchester United in 1999, Schmeichel joined Sporting Lisbon. He later on went on to play for Manchester City, which obviously did not bode well for United fans. Schmeichel, till date, remains as the best goalkeeper in Manchester United's history.
#2 Eric Cantona
The signing of Eric Cantona is another masterclass from Sir Alex Ferguson. With a team full of young players, Sir Alex wanted to bring in some experience and inspiration to the team for the 1992-93 season. With Eric Cantona and the then Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson not getting along, the Frenchman wanted a move away in the summer of 1992.
Manchester United swooped in for the opportunity, signing the former Marseille forward for just £1.2 million. The signing created a hostile atmosphere at Leeds United as fans expressed their displeasure in selling a player of Cantona's quality to their arch rivals.
The purpose of Cantona's signing was to strongly challenge the likes of Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers for the title. Cantona did not fail to deliver as the Frenchman helped Manchester United win the league title four times in the five seasons he spent with them.
Nicknamed King Cantona, the former Leeds forward had a terrific range of passing, superb vision and his quick thinking helped him immensely with his play-making. He was not just a creator but a very fine goalscorer, known to score goals with outrageous technique and audacity. In his five seasons at United, Cantona has scored 82 goals in 185 appearances for the club.
Cantona's signing provided much-needed leadership to the young David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and many more at United back then. He played a swift role in helping Ferguson build his team for the future before he decided to retire in 1997 at the age of 30.
Despite his temperament issues, Cantona proved to be one hell of a signing for the Red Devils. While one would have wished he had played more, it was a sheer delight to watch the Frenchman play with the tenacity and amazing aura he has about him. It was surely a gem of a signing for Manchester United.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Speaking of bargain signings, it is very difficult to skip the shrewd and smart deal Manchester United made in 2003. United signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2003 for a fee of £12.24 million, making him the most expensive teenager back then.
The signing meant the forward was the first Portuguese player ever to play for Manchester United. Ronaldo, with his mind-boggling dribbling skills, impressive flair, agility and most importantly, his brilliant knack for creating and scoring goals, was a huge prospect for the future.
Ferguson thorougly believed in the signing even though it looked expensive back then. Donning the no. 7 jersey, Ronaldo turned out to be a real treat to watch at both the domestic and European level. As a winger, Ronaldo had plenty of goals in him.
In his six-season tenure from 2003 to 2009, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances for Manchester United. In the process, he won the Premier League thrice, UEFA Champions League once, the FA Cup once and the FIFA Club World Cup once. The Portuguese played a massive role in helping United have a dominating spell from 2003 to 2009.
Ronaldo's stellar performance won him the Ballon d'Or in 2008 while playing for Manchester United. United turned out to be the perfect club for his development and with his potential, it was just the start of many amazing things that took place later on.
He then moved on to Real Madrid in 2009 where his achievements only increased with time. Ronaldo is arguably one of the best players to play the game and it has been such a blessing to witness him play. Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United this summer, making a historic return to the club after 12 years.
Only a manager like Ferguson could have a vision to foresee what the young Cristiano Ronaldo playing at Sporting Lisbon could achieve in the future. The £12.25 million now looks like an amazing bargain and a peach of signing back then, especially with the accolades Ronaldo has assembled.
