From Reds to Riches: Which Ex-Red Devil's Performed This Weekend?

From Reds to Riches: Which Ex-Red Devil's Performed This Weekend?

Manchester United. Arguably the biggest club in England, and one of the most recognisable across the world of football.

A rich history of domestic domination and European triumph preceded the era we are in today, and it is fair to say those successes are nothing but distant memories compared to the current climate.

The red side of Manchester is in shambles. Managerial blunders, 15th place Premier League finishes, and an all-round bad vibe.

But arguably the most worrying precedent set during this challenging era has been Man United's transfer business.

Big money spent, players with pedigree and talent bought every window- but the success rate of those signings is remarkably low.

Add to that the fact that a lot of those players go on to bigger and better things once they move on from the club, and it appears that Manchester United have established themselves as a graveyard for promising careers.

But just why is this the case, and who are the biggest examples of this phenomenon?

The Graveyard Survivors

The list of players who leave Manchester United and revitalise their career is ever-growing.

In fact, this weekend alone we have seen new contenders emerge to continue the folktale.

Andre Onana, forced from the club this summer after some poor performances over the last season, got man of the match on his debut for Trabzonspor- despite an error in the game.

Rasmus Hojlund, who struggled to find his way at United before being shipped out to Serie A in favour of new boy Benjamin Sesko, put in an excellent performance on his Napoli debut- scoring inside 15 minutes as his new side won 3-1 against Fiorentina.

Seeing Scott McTominay, Kevin de Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund celebrating a goal together is a proper mind fuck pic.twitter.com/1RJcd77p8n

— ET Heisenberg (@UtdHeisenberg_) September 13, 2025

Marcus Rashford, who fell out of favour at the club after Ruben Amorim was appointed, came away with an assist for Barcelona in a 6-0 drubbing of Valencia.

Oh, you thought we were done there? That's only the players who left in this summer's transfer window... let's look at a few more

Antony, who spent last season on loan at Real Betis and has now moved to the Spanish club permanently, improved immeditaly when he left last season and has continued that trend early this campaign with a strong performance for his new club over the weekend.

Scott McTominay, who left Manchester United at the beginning of last season for Napoli, was named Serie A's player of the year in his first season last year, and has begun this campaign in the same vein.

Even David De Gea, who provided so many good moments for Manchester United but was still vilified before eventually leaving, has been in splendid form for the Italian side since he joined at the beginning of last season.

You get the idea...

And believe me, we could go on. In fact, we could probably be here all day listing all the names who fit the bill... so to save both our time, and yours, let's move on and take a look at why this might be happening.

What is Actually Going on?

The exact reason as to why so many players are performing better once they leave Manchester United isn't entirely clear.

But there are many different factors which are worth a mention when discussing the topic.

The Money Pressure

It is no secret that Manchester United spend big.

This summer alone they have spent £195m on three new forwards in Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko. With such a big fee comes undeniable pressure - and it isn't just something we have seen with Manchester United.

#MUFC incomings and outgoings this summer:

Incomings -

Mason Mount -
Transfer Fee - £55m
Yearly Wage - £10.4m
Contract Length - 5+1 years

Andre Onana -
Transfer Fee - 43.8m
Yearly Wage - £5.2m
Contract Length - 5+1 years

Rasmus Hojlund -
Transfer Fee - £64m
Yearly Wage -… pic.twitter.com/kmCNwNWrrq

— Benjamin Hunt (@JustAFootyFan_) August 16, 2023

If you look at the list of the most expensive transfers, arrivals and departures, in Premier League history - the amount of players who have been seemingly hindered by the sheer weight of their price tag is notable.

So when you consider the money spent on a lot of the players who have struggled when moving to Manchester, question marks grow.

Lukaku, Antony, Paul Pogba, Di Maria and Sancho among others have all arrived for monstrous sums of money over the past few years... and all have struggled to live up to the expectations inhibited by their fees.

The Weight of the Badge

The most discoursed reason for the struggles players face at Manchester United, the weight of the badge and the pressure that comes along with being a Manchester United player is often thought to be the main factor in the dreary transfer success rate.

Due to the previous domination and triumph the club has been privy to, the natural expectation of signings is to produce the quality which can take the club back to those lofty heights it once occupied.

Bruno Fernandes is not a captain material, grown man that can’t take in pressure, he even said he’s nervous for games. We can’t continue like this

— DALOTleavemyclub (@unitedSvg) September 15, 2025

Any new arrivals' character is tested from the moment they don the badge on their chest and, if they don't hit the ground running, there is an immediate culture which labels them as unfit to represent the club.

Ruthless? Yes. But it is a culture born out of years of success which has not yet been broken by the recent downward spiral.

Manchester United's Desperation

Now let's forget the pressure that playing at the Theatre of Dreams puts on the players for a second.

What if the blame isn't necessarily on the players for not being able to cope with the pressure, but actually lies on the shoulders of Manchester United's recruitment system.

If the signings made are consistently not living up to the hype, and are being forced out after only a few years, questions have to be asked about whether they were ever the right signings to begin with.

Man Utd recruitment logic:

Needed a GK → signed one → don’t play him.

Needed midfielders → bought two no.10s → shoved Bruno into midfield → midfield now worse.

No money left to fix midfield… because we bought two no.10s.

You couldn’t script it. 😂 pic.twitter.com/bc3vgOuOVY

— Man United Media (@ManUnitedMedia) September 14, 2025

The most potent example of this is in Man United's current midfield.

There has been a hole to fill for at least a few years now - United continually get caught in transition despite playing a double pivot, as they just don't have the right profile.

This summer, there was clearly money to spend, as shown by the expenditure on their front three, and yet there is still no sign of a midfielder.

Add to that the considerable manager turnover we have seen at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, and you will find that a lot of the time the players signed are playing under an entirely different manager, with a completely different footballing ideology, to the one they were when signed.

In circumstances like that, it becomes a lot more easier to see why players struggle to live up to expectations.

How can a player come into such an unstable institution, where the club themselves can't even see what recruitment they need, and be expected to set the world alight... it just isn't plausible.

What is the Fix

So how do Manchester United go about fixing this recruitment issue?

Well, at the moment, there doesn't seem to be light at the end of the tunnel, and a fix is difficult to pinpoint.

There does appear to still be an entitlement at the club and around it. There is a belief that they have a divine right to expect success and accept nothing less purely because of their history.

As mentioned, if players don't immediately hit the heights of cohorts gone by, they are under immense pressure to rapidly improve, or be at risk of moving on quickly.

Joshua Zirkzee recently made headlines after being substituted just 33 minutes into Manchester United's match against Newcastle, amid boos from some fans. This early exit followed a disappointing performance, as United trailed 2-0 at that point in the game. Despite this setback,… pic.twitter.com/HERvnGq7Xu

— Hamza (@shaikhhamza222) December 31, 2024

Take Joshua Zirkzee for example, the young striker started the game against Newcastle at Old Trafford last season where Newcastle ran out 2-0 winners. Hooked after just 33 minutes, Zirkzee left the field to his own fans booing and jeering his substitution.

You'd think, with a reaction like that, that Zirkzee had had a stinker - in fact, he wasn't that bad at all, and his substitution was met with condolences from Newcastle players as he left the field, out of pure sympathy for his situation.

For any player looking to endear themselves to their new club and its fanbase, examples like that, where toxicity feels almost impossible to avoid even if the capabilities to overcome it are there, can have nothing but a negative affect - on both a players mindset and mental fortitude.

And with all that being said, maybe the only way for Manchester United to not only fix there failed transfers, but also resolve the depressing state the club currently upholds, is for the expectations to be reassessed.

Fans may not like to hear it, but at this moment in time, Manchester United just aren't the force they once were.

In fact, they are nowhere near it.

Maybe it is time to stop trying to act like they are entitled to always be at the top, and understand that a period of rebuilding is needed.

Get behind the manager, and more importantly, get behind the players and allow them to get on with the job they are paid to do, even if it doesn't result in immediate success ... do that, and the possibility of summiting the footballing mountain once again may begin to re-show itself on the horizon.