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It has been a decade full of ups and downs for Manchester United. It began with Chelsea winning the Premier League in 2010, after which United made a brilliant comeback to win the league in 2011 and also reach the UEFA Champions League final.
Following Manchester City's decisive win against Queens Park Rangers in May 2012 that won them the league by goal difference, Manchester United secured their 20th league title in 2013 in the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson's final season.
Since Ferguson's retirement, things have gone mostly downhill for United. Even though they have had some good moments such as FA Cup and UEFA Europa League glories in 2016 and 2017 respectively, the overall structure and functioning of the club have suffered an incredible decline.
Manchester United have signed numerous players in this decade, and a lot of them failed to prove themselves and were considered flops. However, there have also been some great signings made by the club who improved the squad with their abilities.
Here, we look at three best signings Manchester United have made in this decade.
#1 Ander Herrera
After United's failed attempts to sign Herrera in 2013, they finally got their man in the summer of 2014 for £28 million. An energetic box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal who can also read the game very well, Herrera contributed a lot at United in the five seasons he spent with the club.
Herrera was a big-game payer who played a crucial role whenever his team needed him the most - especially in domestic competitions and the Europa League. Herrera assisted Anthony Martial's goal in the FA Cup semifinal against Everton in April 2016, and also scored in the FA Cup semifinal against Tottenham Hotspur in April 2018.
He assisted Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late header in the EFL Cup final against Southampton in February 2017, and was awarded the man of the match in the 2017 Europa League final.
Because of his consistent performances throughout the 2016-17 season, he was awarded the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.
Herrera was the kind of player who used to relish big games, and his presence in midfield added extra energy to it. He left the Red Devils at the end of the 2018-19 season as his contract expired, and joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
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#2 Robin van Persie
Manchester United announced the signing of Robin van Persie in August 2012 for £22.5 million. Van Persie proved to be worth every penny as he turned out to be the league's top goalscorer in that season, netting 26, while also assisting 15.
In April 2013, Van Persie scored a hat-trick against Aston Villa, including a scintillating volley, to secure United's 20th Premier League title. The Flying Dutchman also won the Sir Matt Busby Player Of The Year award for his breathtaking performances throughout the season.
Van Persie also scored 18 goals in all competitions in the 2013-14 season, which included a hat-trick against Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League knockout stage. He then netted 10 goals in all competitions in the 2014-15 season before moving to Turkish giants Fenerbahce in the summer of 2015.
#3 David de Gea
David de Gea is undoubtedly one of the best signings in the history of Manchester United. The Spaniard signed for the club from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for approximately £19 million.
De Gea had a tough first season in England as he made a few errors that cost United, which also led him to being dropped for United's second choice goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard. But De Gea gradually improved his skills and went on to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world in later years.
The Spaniard has been one of United's most important players of this decade. He won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16), and won it again in the 2017-18 season.
De Gea has been included in the PFA Team of the Year on five occasions (2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18). He also won the Premier League Golden Glove 2017-18 for keeping the highest number of clean sheets.
Due to all his achievements at the club, De Gea is often spoken of in the same breath as legendary United goalkeepers such as Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar. Most would agree he deserves to be in that category for everything he has done for the club.
