Ranking Manchester United's 10 most expensive signings

5) Dimitar Berbatov – £30.75

United are accustomed to going for rival clubs’ star players and they raided Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 to get an absolute gem in Dimitar Berbatov. The London club, as always, drove a hard bargain and Berbatov cost a little over £30m to secure his services.

Although he displayed a lackadaisical approach to the game, his keen eye and composure in front of goal made him a lethal centre-forward who drew comparisons with another United legend – Eric Cantona. Nothing endeared him more to the United faithful than the hat-trick against Liverpool (the first by a United player against the Reds in 64 years) which included an overhead kick in a 3-2 win.

However, as he turned 30, he found starts hard to come by in a squad filled with attacking options. Being left out of the 2011 Champions League final squad also hurt him and he was gone the following season, joining Fulham on a two-year deal. But when he wore a United shirt, fans knew they would be treated to something special and he did deliver, especially in 2010/11 with 21 goals.

Rating: 7/10