Top 10 Manchester United signings of the decade

What a decade it has been for Manchester United! With the first transfer window of the new decade almost upon us, excitement among the United fans is ripe as they await Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s next move in January. In the meanwhile, we have plunged into the last 10 years and prepared a list of the top 10 Manchester United signings of the decade.

Also Read: 5 most successful January signings in the Premier League

Despite retiring in the summer of 2013, Sir Alex Fergusonstill bosses this list, with 5 of his signings making it into the top 10. Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal have two players each, while one of David Moyes' signings also finds a place here. The Red Devils have signed a lot of players from 2010 to 2019, but who is the best of the lot? Read on to find out.

Honorary Mention: Aaron Wan Bissaka looks a great buy already, but is overlooked because he has just joined the club in the summer of 2019. Daley Blind is another player who narrowly misses out.

10. Chris Smalling

The Englishman joined Manchester United from Fulham in the summer of 2010 for £7m, as Sir Alex prepared to inject a bit of youth in his defense. Chris Smalling was expected to be the understudy to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, as Manchester United attempted to prepare for life after the dynamic duo. The former Fulham player started his life at Old Trafford quite well, showing initial promise and even appearing regularly for the Red Devils. Even though he never quite fulfilled the expectations, the Englishman was a decent addition to the United squad.

Smalling went on to win 2 Premier League titles, one F. A. Cup, one League Cup, three Community Shields, and one UEFA Europa League. He was decent on the ball and had an aggressive style of play, which did come under some criticism in recent times. The Englishman also had a knack of scoring goals; he scored 18 times from 323 appearances over a period of 9 seasons. However, he dropped down the pecking order in recent seasons and failed to hold on to his position in the team.

With the signing of Harry Maguire earlier this summer, Smalling’s place in the team was no longer confirmed. The Englishman eventually moved out on loan to A.S. Roma and has since turned over a new leaf in Seire A. The former Fulham man has been very effective for AS Roma so far and turned into one of the best defenders in Italy this season. He has appeared 18 times for the Yellow and Reds so far and has also scored 2 goals.

With Manchester United defensive woes far from over, Smalling could yet have a role to play if he chooses to return to the club at the end of his loan spell.

Also check out: EPL fixtures EPL table UCL schedule

9. Ashley Young

Ashley Young has been receiving consistent criticism from United fans in the last few years due to his performances on the pitch, but one has to admit that the Englishman has been a fantastic servant for the club over the years.

Young started his football career with Watford, rising through the youth academy and going on to feature for the first team. He improved massively and was even adjudged the club’s young player of the year at the end of the 2004/05 season. Young played as a winger and showed promise in front of the goal, prompting clubs to vie for his signature.

The Englishman eventually moved to Aston Villa in January 2007 and eventually caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson, who brought him to Old Trafford in the summer of 2011, in a deal worth £17m. It was the start of a glorious association that would be mutually beneficial for both parties.

Young went on to win every trophy on offer in English football with Manchester United. He won the F.A. Cup, the Premier League, the League Cup as well as the Community Shield. In addition, Young also has a UEFA Europa League medal to his name.

The Englishman initially started off as a winger who could play either side of the pitch but was modified into a full-back during the realm of Louis van Gaal. It proved to be a stellar decision, as Young adjusted his game brilliantly and has been fantastic for United in the new role. Recently, the Englishman has dropped down the pecking order, but still remains an important member of the squad. He is also the current Manchester United skipper.

Few players have adapted so well to a change in position over the last decade. Young’s impact as a winger as well as a full-back since joining Manchester United makes him one of the club’s best signings of the last decade.

8. Juan Mata

Juan Mata arrived at Old Trafford at a time when Manchester United were going through a difficult phase in the club’s history. The Spaniard was identified by many experts as a player quite different from the Manchester United squad, however, Mata defied all expectations and managed to withstand 4 managerial changes. Like Young, he is more of a squad player now but still remains vital to Solskjaer’s cause at United.

The Spaniard started his career at Real Madrid Castilla before catching the eye with Valencia. He subsequently made the move to the Premier League in the summer of 2011 to join Chelsea and enjoyed 2 and a half extremely successful seasons with the Blues. David Moyes brought him to Old Trafford in January of 2014 for £37.1m and the Spaniard began his association with the Red Devils that has lasted to this day.

Mata’s creativity and his ball control were major plus points for the Red Devils and despite talks of him being unsuitable to United’s style of play, the Spaniard soon became an important member of the team. He has shuffled between the No. 10 position and the right-wing in the team and reached double figures in goals in each of his first three full seasons with the club.

The Spaniard has won the F.A. Cup, the UEFA Europa League, the Community Shield, and the League Cup with the Red Devils so far. While he is not the ideal fit in Solskjaer’s current system anymore, Mata has been a solid addition to Manchester United and fittingly finds himself among the club’s top ten signings of the last decade.

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Manchester United managed a coup of sorts when they succeeded in convincing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to join the club in the summer of 2016. The larger than life Swede was just the character that the Red Devils needed at the club after a string of poor seasons that had left the squad depleted and the dressing room void of true leaders. Ibrahimovic hit the ground running in the Premier League and soon became the darling of Old Trafford with his goal-scoring exploits.

The former AC Milan man powered Manchester United to the League Cup trophy and showed astonishing goalscoring prowess despite his age. However, disaster struck when he picked up a cruciate ligament injury in April and was ruled out for the rest of the season. By then, Ibrahimovic had scored 28 times in 46 appearances for the Red Devils.

Ibrahimovic returned from injury in the month of November and played 7 more games for United, scoring once. He ultimately moved on to LA Galaxy in the MLS at the end of March, but by then, the Swede had left a lasting impression in his short stint with the Red Devils.

6. Ander Herrera

Ander Herrera was targeted by David Moyes in the summer of 2013, but a move failed to materialize. It was Louis van Gaal who managed to get the Spaniard in the following season from Athletic Bilbao, in a deal worth £29m and Herrera joined the Red Devils in June 2014. His busy style of play and eye for a pass was a welcome addition to the United midfield. Herrera made 31 appearances for the Red Devils in his first season and also scored 8 times, which remains his best return in a season.

Despite falling out of favour under the Dutchman in the following year, the Spaniard battled his way back into the team and became a vital cog in the middle of the park, displaying a fighting spirit that set him apart. He was crucial in United’s F. A. Cup-winning run in the 2015/16 season, even setting up Martial with a subtle assist to score the winner in a tightly contested semi-final against Everton.

Following Jose Mourinho’s appointment, Herrera appeared in a number of different roles for his team. He helped United win the League Cup as well as the UEFA Europa League in Mourinho’s first season. The Spaniard fell out of the Portuguese’s good books soon, but once again managed to fight his way into the first eleven.

After Mourinho’s departure, Herrera became a pivotal part of Solskjaer’s midfield and was crucial in the Norwegian’s record-breaking start to life as the caretaker United manager. His high energy and intelligence were crucial for Solskjaer’s style of play and Herrera flourished under a manager who trusted him. Unfortunately, the United management failed to extend Herrera’s deal and he joined PSG in a free transfer in the summer of this year. By then, though, he had already made a place for himself in the hearts of United fans worldwide.

5. Javier Hernandez

What Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could do with a goal poacher like Javier Hernandez in his squad right now! The Mexican started his playing career with C. D. Guadalajara and rose through the ranks to play for the first team. At a very early age, it was clear that the young boy had an eye for the goal and Chicharito, with his alertness and movement in the box, certainly convinced a lot of people that he was destined for greatness. Among them were Manchester United scouts, who submitted a glowing report of the young man. The Mexican was made a United player in April of 2010, while his deal made official in July once the transfer window opened.

Chicharito proved to be a fantastic buy for the club and was certainly the fox in the box that Manchester United needed. He finished his debut season with 20 goals from 45 appearances and it was clear that Sir Alex had hit jackpot in the transfer market once again. Injuries hampered his development in the following season, as the Mexican only managed 36 appearances but still scored 12 times.

In his third season, Chicharito scored 18 times from 36 games and was a crucial member of the team that won the Premier League. After Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the Mexican struggled under David Moyes, like the rest of the team, and only managed 9 goals from 35 appearances. Louis van Gaal saw him surplus to requirements and sent him on loan to Real Madrid in the 2014/15 season and he was subsequently sold to Bayer Leverkusen in the following year.

The Mexican has 2 Premier League and one Community Shield medals from his time with the Red Devils and was one of the top signings of the last decade.

4. Anthony Martial

When Anthony Martial was signed by Louis van Gaal from AS Monaco for £36m at the start of the 2015/16 season and he became the costliest teenager in the world at that time. If there were doubts about whether the Frenchman was worth such an astronomical sum, they were squashed by the end of the season. Martial found the back of the net 17 times in 49 appearances, including 11 in 31 in the Premier League.

The Frenchman started playing football at CO Les Ulis and transferred to Lyon as a 14-year-old in 2009. After 4 years with Les Gones, he moved on to Monaco in the summer of 2013 and soon attracted attention from clubs around Europe, before Manchester United brought him to Old Trafford.

After his breakthrough debut season, Martial was expected to hit a higher gear the following year. Unfortunately, the arrival of Jose Mourinho affected his development, and Martial failed to fulfil his early promise. He managed to score just 19 goals in 87 appearances over 2 seasons under the Portuguese and was still struggling by the time Mourinho left the club at the end of last year.

However, the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was like a shot in the arm for the Frenchman, who regained his old form and found his goal scoring boots again at the turn of this year.

The Norwegian showed further belief in his young striker when he allowed Romelu Lukaku to leave and reinstated Martial as the No. 9 in the team. The Frenchman has been on fine form since donning his old shirt and has already scored 10 goals from 19 appearances in all competitions this season. Despite all the questionable transfers carried out under van Gaal’s reign, United fans will certainly be ever indebted to the Dutchman for giving them Martial.

3. Paul Pogba

Few players have caused such contrasting emotions among fans like Paul Pogba. The prodigal son’s return to Old Trafford from Turin at the start of Jose Mourinho’s era, for a then world-record fee of £89m sparkled debates among the United faithful. By then, Pogba had established himself as one of the most talented midfielders in the world and his arrival was expected to kick-start United’s return to the top.

Unfortunately, the Frenchman failed to have the desired effect on the team. While he was exceptional at times during his debut season, Pogba’s tendency to blow hot and cold hurt United on the run. By the end of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, there were rumours of a fallout between player and manager. However, Solskjaer’s appointment lent him a new lease of life and the Frenchman showed the world that he still was a cut above the rest at Old Trafford.

The former Juventus midfielder’s vision and passing range are second to none, while last season, Pogba even managed to add a spectacular goalscoring edge to his game. The Frenchman ended the 2018/19 season with 16 goals from 47 games, which is the most successful return of his playing career.

This year, injuries have restricted him to just 8 appearances so far, while rumours of an impending move away from Old Trafford have the fans sceptical once again. However, there’s still no denying his quality on the pitch. When Pogba gets on the ball with a little bit of space and time in the middle of the park, you can almost feel the sparkle in the eyes of Marcus Rashford and co. Because the Frenchman still has the ability to turn a game around in a split second and for that, he remains the 3rd best Manchester United transfer in the last decade.

2. Robin van Persie

Sir Alex Ferguson managed many impossible feats during his tenure as a Manchester United manager, but one of his greatest coups was convincing Arsene Wenger to sell Robin van Persie to United in August 2012, for a meagre fee of £24m. At that time, the Dutchman was coming off another brilliant season with Arsenal, where he scored 37 goals from 48 appearances. He was the reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner and had won the PFA Player’s Player of the Year as well as the FWA Footballer of the Year awards. No one will ever know how Sir Alex managed to do it, but van Persie was a United player before the start of the new season and the rest, as they say, is history.

The new Manchester United No. 20 powered his team to their 20th league title, instilling fear in the hearts of defenses around the league. He boded very well to United’s never-say-die spirit and lit up Old Trafford with his accuracy and precision in front of goal. His left foot was just exceptional and the Dutchman was a finisher par excellence - who can forget that first-time volley against Aston Villa? Van Persie went on to score 30 times that season, including 26 times in the league and reclaimed his Premier League Golden Boot.

Following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the Dutchman endured a lean phase and ultimately left United in the summer of 2015. His goals and his celebrations, though, are forever etched in the hearts of United fans.

1. David De Gea

Many consider him as Sir Alex Ferguson’s parting gift to his beloved club, and 6 and a half years since the legendary Scott’s retirement, David de Gea still remains the first name in the team sheet. The Spaniard went from a novice who looked nervy in his first game wearing the Red shirt to becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world. All of it, though, was possible because early in the decade, Sir Alex decided he could not allow a repeat of an old mistake.

Following Peter Schmeichel’s departure before the turn of the last century, Manchester United had failed to find a safe pair of hands under the bar, until Edwin van der Saar arrived in the summer of 2005. As the Dutchman entered the twilight of his career, though, United were smart enough to identify his successor and managed to bring de Gea to Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in June 2011, in a deal worth £18.9m. Since then, the young boy has transformed himself into a stellar goalkeeper and has been the only glowing constant in the United team in the last decade.

Manchester United fans have probably lost count of the number of times that the Spaniard has saved United over the years. On some days, he can be just unconquerable, churning out one save after another. The games against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur from the last 2 seasons were etched in the minds of the fans.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, Manchester United have been on a rough ride that refuses to be over. The defence has been shambolic at times, but every fan will shudder to think how much worse it could have gone had it not been for an infamous fax machine that helped keep Real Madrid at bay! Without any doubt, de Gea is the best Manchester United signing of the last decade and continues to be Sir Alex’s gift that keeps on giving.

Also Read: Top 5 Dutch Footballers of the last decade

Edited by Sai Teja