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#3 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Free transfer
The great Swede added Manchester United to the list of prestigious clubs he played for in 2016 when he switched from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. Very little needs to be said about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has been one of the best strikers in the modern era.
The player may have been a bit of a journeyman, but he has won trophies wherever he has gone. It was no different for him at Old Trafford as well. Ibrahimovic crucially helped Manchester United win a couple of trophies to break the lean patch they have experienced post the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Swede was a great signing and delivered the goods despite doubts hovering over his ability to perform in the toughest league. Ibrahimovic struck the back of the net 29 times and notched up 10 assists in 53 appearances for the Red Devils. He also added the Carabao Cup, scoring in the final, and the UEFA Europa League to his long list of major honors.
The end was a bit tragic though as Ibrahimovic suffered a major injury that took its toll on him and resulted in his departure.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - £13.5M
One of Ed Woodward's final acts as Executive Vice President was to sanction the deal that brought Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester United. After much rumor in the past, it was at the start of the 2021 campaign that the Portuguese finally returned to Old Trafford.
He was strongly linked with Manchester City, but chose his 'adopted home' at the very last minute. Ronaldo left United for Real Madrid back in 2009, leaving behind a rich legacy of records, goals and important trophies. The winger notably won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League with the club.
He went on to add four more Champions League winners' medals with Los Blancos, but could not deliver the prestigious trophy at Juventus.
Ronaldo finds himself in a much harder situation in the present period as he is in an underperforming United team which is playing well below their potential. Some have even criticized the Portuguese, opining that the club have been suffering because of his constant selection in the side.
However, without Ronaldo's 14 goals and three assists, Manchester United would be in an even worse position. This is especially true in the Champions League, where he has scored six times in five matches.
#1 Bruno Fernandes - £56.7M
Manchester United were down and out midway through the 2019-20 season as nothing seemed to be bearing fruit for the side. They were performing poorly, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was under a lot of pressure to deliver.
The boardroom decided to bring him reinforcements, and along came Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon. Many would have hoped for Fernandes to play well, but nobody could have imagined the impact he would have.
Since arriving at Old Trafford, the attacking midfielder has been a talisman for the club and the squad. Fernandes has achieved impressive things and has often been the main man carrying the team forward.
Having already made 105 appearances, Bruno has made 79 contributions towards goals. He also became the Premier League midfielder with the most goals across all competitions in a single season during the 2020-21 campaign.
The only thing that remains is for the Portuguese to win a trophy at Old Trafford, which will surely bring plenty of happiness to the club's fans.
