Top 5 Manchester United Bargains of the Sir Alex Ferguson Era

Manchester United are among the biggest football clubs in the world. In recent years, the club has not matched the success it enjoyed during the reign of Sir Alex Ferguson, both on the pitch and once could argue, in the transfer window too.

Under Ferguson, there used to be an emphasis on promotion from within as United nurtured the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and David Beckham into world-class players.

With the arrival of Jose Mourinho, the policy has shifted from youngsters to tried and tested players, and therefore, expensive players like Alexis Sanchez are being preferred over youth. Back in the day, United had a keen eye for a bargain transfer, one that served them extraordinarily well in a period of long-term dominance.

Also read: An A-Z guide to Manchester United Football Club

In this slideshow, we will look at United's top 5 Premier League bargain signings:

#5 Denis Irwin

The man regarded by Alex Ferguson as, pound for pound, one of his best signings, is one of the most underrated left-backs in world football.

True to form, he was also an unsung and oft-forgotten hero through a period of great success from Manchester United as he played from the club between 1990 and 2002, winning 7 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups and he was an integral part of the 1999 treble-winning team.

Irwin, a member of the British football Hall of Fame, was bought from Oldham for a fee of £625,000 and was one of the most loyal servants at Manchester United.

Now a presenter on MUTV, the Irishman was a model of consistency on the left side of United's defence as he saw a myriad of centre-backs come and go. Even in his mid-thirties, he was the first choice ahead of the young and very promising Phil Neville, showing that class is indeed permanent and that age is just a number.

#4 Edwin van der Sar

By the time Edwin van der Sar arrived in England with Fulham, many considered him to be past his best. However, after an impressive stay at Craven Cottage, van der Sar found himself on Fergie's radar. The Manchester United boss eventually swooped and signed the then 34-year-old custodian for a reported fee of £2 million.

Whilst at Old Trafford, the Dutchman picked up 4 Premier League titles and was instrumental as United overcame Chelsea in Moscow in the final of the 2008 UEFA Champions League.

He saved from Nicolas Anelka to send Manchester into raptures as he wrote his name in the history books with a second Champions League title, having won his first with Ajax more than a decade before.

Van der Sar is a recipient of the Premier League merit award. He won the award after going 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal, a world record, in the process keeping 21 clean sheets as United pipped Liverpool to the title.

The Dutchman was a fantastic signing for United and solved their goalkeeper problem, at last finding a replacement for Peter Schmeichel.

#3 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

In the summer of 1996, Alex Ferguson sought to bolster his strike-force as he tried to sign Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers.

However, Shearer chose his hometown club Newcastle United instead and moved for a then world record fee of £15 million. United, for their part, signed a little-known Norwegian for £1.5 million - 1/10th of what Shearer cost - a signing that was greeted with derision or at best, doubt, by United's supporters.

Little did they know that the man who was the ultimate 'super sub ' and would come to be known as the baby-faced assassin would prove to be an exceptional bargain. A deadly finisher by trade, Solskjaer was a Fergie favourite and scored the winning goal against Bayern Munich that clinched an unprecedented treble for Manchester United.

Among other memories, Solskjaer once scored 4 goals in the final 12 minutes of a game against Nottingham Forest, having just come on as a sub and became a cult hero at United.

Solskjaer won 6 Premier Leagues while at United, in addition to his two FA Cups and of course, the UEFA Champions League title. His final few seasons were injury plagued, but he remains a revered figure in the red half of Manchester.

#2 Eric Cantona

King Eric was an enigma. A charismatic player, who led from the front, the Frenchman had undeniable quality and at United, he was given the chance to display it to the world.

Bought from bitter rivals Leeds United, for a reported fee of £1.2 million, Cantona would make Leeds regret their decisions as he played a critical role in transforming Fergie's side from title challengers to perennial winners.

Wearing the famed no 7 shirt, with his upturned collar, King Eric became a focal point for United to rally around as he added the flair needed to propel the club to greatness. At Leeds, he was undervalued by Howard Wilkinson and after an enquiry, he was sold to United in only a few days.

Whilst at United, he won 4 Premier League and 2 FA Cup titles but never ceased to entertain fans and neutrals alike.

From his iconic chip against Sheffield United and the immortal celebration that followed to kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace supporter, Cantona's time at Old Trafford was as memorable as it was successful.

#1 Peter Schmeichel

A man described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the 'bargain of the century', the 'Great Dane', Peter Schmeichel was the greatest goalkeeper the Premier League and some would argue, the world, had ever seen.

Plucked from the relative obscurity of Brondby in the Danish Superliga for a mere reported fee of £505,000, Schmeichel was a ferocious and vociferous goalkeeper and an always dependable leader for United.

He played for the club in the 1990's, spending 8 years at Old Trafford and lifting 15 trophies along the way. The highlight was undoubtedly the treble of 1999, one made possible by some stellar performances by Schmeichel.

He left United after winning the treble, celebrating Solskjaer's winner by cartwheeling in his own box, but by this time one thing was clear, the Great Dane was a bonafide legend.

The man left a lasting legacy at Old Trafford and the team struggled to replace his influence for a number of years before Edwin Van Der Sar finally filled the void.

Schmeichel kept a clean sheet in 42% of the games he played for United, a staggering record, albeit one that proves him to be Manchester United's greatest bargain.

Edited by Aakanksh Sanketh