Ranking Manchester United's 10 most expensive signings

4) Eric Bailly – £30m

With United’s homegrown defenders such as Chris Smalling and Phil Jones displaying alarming levels of inconsistency, Eric Bailly’s arrival was a breath of fresh air in a young defensive back-line. Here was a defender who was strong in the tackle, able to position himself well and also play the ball out from the back if required.

If not for his injury and the Africa Cup of Nations that saw United miss his services for the best part of two months, United may have finished higher in the table considering the kind of goals they conceded. Bailly was sorely missed and it soon became apparent that his signing was £30m well spent.

Bailly’s ability to also play as a right-back was also very useful to United when they switched to a back-three in certain games. United never lost any game in which he played in the back three.

Rating: 8/10