Who Are The Worst Manchester United Signings Of All Time? (Top 10 Ranked)

Who Are The Worst Manchester United Signings Of All Time? (Top 10 Ranked)

It could be said that a lot of the problems that Manchester United and Ruben Amorim are facing stem from one thing. Recruitment. In the modern game, transfers have become increasingly frequent and even more crucial in the success of a team.

With the likes of Liverpool, Brighton and Bournemouth perhaps the best examples of how quality recruitment can transform a side, Manchester United have consistently argued the other side of the coin in this department in recent times. The revolving door at Old Trafford continues to be in full effect, and with just the £1.43bn spent in the last decade, the club remains a shadow of its former self.

Here at Football Park we have put together a top 10 of the worst Manchester United signings of all time, and there are plenty of candidates for the list. With different managers and different systems being a hallmark of the post-Fergie era, there has been many a player been who has brought in to the red side of Manchester which has left fans shaking their heads.

10. Kleberson

Now although things have gotten a lot worse since he retired, Sir Alex Ferguson was not immune to a mistake in the transfer window. Signed from Paranaense in 2003, Kleberson, off the back of an impressive World Cup was brought in alongside Cristiano Ronaldo to revamp the squad. Injured in just his second appearance for the club, he would go on to only make 20 appearances for United in his two years there before departing for Besiktas in 2005. Very much failing to live up to the hype around his arrival, the signing of the central midfielder was not one of Ferguson's best decisions in his incredible career.

August 12: Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Manchester United, and unveiled at same time as World Cup winner Kleberson. pic.twitter.com/Nw2SnLwVxA

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 12, 2014

9. Morgan Schneiderlin

In 2015, Manchester United and then manager Louis Van Gaal made the decision to splash £25 million on Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. Showing himself to be one of the very best around at St Mary's, the decision to bring in the Frenchman at the time was very much well-supported by the United faithful. Unfortunately, Schneiderlin was unable to replicate his form at Southampton after his move to United. There for just 18 months, he failed to make a sufficient impact in Van Gaal's new-look United and left to rejoin Ronald Koeman at Everton.

OFFICIAL: Morgan Schneiderlin has signed for Everton. Good luck with your new club, hopefully starting Sunday! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/gEViFgv3Wy

— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) January 12, 2017

8. Radamel Falcao

Signing in 2013, and only eighth on this list because he was a loan, Radamel Falcao was a spent force when he joined United from Monaco temporarily. Once one of the best strikers around, especially in his time at Atletico Madrid, the Colombian looked a shadow of his former self in Manchester. After an incredibly disappointing season, the club announced that they would not be exercising their option to buy Falcao, and who would blame them? With just four goals to his name, it is fair to say that the Colombian and United were not a great fit. He would return to Monaco before giving English football another go with Chelsea, an equally disastrous move for the striker.

BREAKING: #mufc is delighted to announce Radamel Falcao has joined on a 1-year loan from Monaco with an option to buy pic.twitter.com/gnhR4rdsmF

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 2, 2014

7. Angel Di Maria

Signing a five-year deal in 2014, United fans thought they had signed a superstar from Real Madrid. A transfer fee just under £60 million, the signing of the Argentinian was met with a great quantity of rejoicing by followers of the Red Devils. Unlike most others on this list, Di Maria started brilliantly at Old Trafford, the first weeks of his Man United career were positive, filled with moments of genius and incredible creativity. Although losing 5-3 away at Leicester, the Argentinian scored one of the goals of the season when he chipped keeper Kasper Schmeichel. But that was about as good as it got for the former Madrid player, as both injuries and bad form saw his United career extinguished. He left for PSG the following summer, abruptly ending his time in Manchester.

11 years ago today, Man United signed Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for £59.7m. 🇦🇷❤️🥹 pic.twitter.com/U3s07vsh1j

— The United HQ (@TheUTDHQ) August 26, 2025

6. Andre Onana

Onana's loan exit this summer to Turkish club Trabzonspor marked the end of a tough time in Manchester for the Cameroonian shot-stopper. He comes in at sixth in this list because of his failure to match the brilliance of his goalkeeping predecessor, David De Gea. For so long, United had one of the best around with De Gea, and when his time at Old Trafford came to an end, the decision of who to replace him with was a massive one. Onana was unable to live up to the pressure of being United's number one, with his Old Trafford career littered with mistakes and errors. Time and time again he would cost United in the big games, and manager Amorim was left with no choice but to move on from Onana.

Andre Onana has two clean sheets, two Player of the Match awards and an assist since joining Trabzonspor... 🙌🇨🇲

Another sign that leaving Man United may be the best thing for your career 😮📈 pic.twitter.com/F9VzEFZXdP

— OneFootball (@OneFootball) October 6, 2025

5. Paul Pogba

There is no doubt at all that Paul Pogba was, and could still be, an incredible midfielder. Once a youth prospect at United, manager Jose Mourinho made the decision to bring Pogba back to Manchester for a then-world record transfer fee after excelling at Juventus. With his best performances coming under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pogba went on to captain United and made it into the PFA Team of the Year in 2019.

Pogba is so high on this list because of the potential he had. With the ability to be one of the world's best, Pogba's time at United faded out. Leaving upon the expiry of his contract, injuries and ill-discipline contributed to an underwhelming end to his United career, as he rejoined Juventus to rediscover his form in 2022.

Paul Pogba 🤝 Rio Ferdinand

That Man United linkup 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TuK98Cblrh

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 4, 2025

4. Donny Van De Beek

Yet another example of wasted potential, Donny Van De Beek's move from Ajax to Manchester United after a scintillating couple of seasons for the Dutch club in 2020 proved to be another unfortunate transfer for the red side of Manchester. Van De Beek's just under £40 million move proved to be a detrimental one for his career. A tough first season was followed by one where he would not make a league start, out of favour with boss Solskjaer throughout his time there. Not able to make an impact at United, as well as not being given the chance to, meant the Dutchman would go on loan to Everton and Frankfurt before departing to Girona in 2024. A truly awful move for both parties.

Donny van de Beek (€39M) - Ajax to Manchester United (2020) pic.twitter.com/olWCVbz7nq

— Transfersthathappened (@actualtransfers) April 30, 2025

3. Alexis Sanchez

In a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way, United would acquire the Chilean forward in January of 2018. Sanchez has been vocal about his regret at joining United, and it is clear to see why. 5 goals in 45 games: the brilliance and goal-scoring acumen he had shown in London had disappeared after leaving for United. A disastrous move for both player and club, Sanchez's move to United is widely regarded as one of the most notable examples of a transfer not living up to expectations. His torrid time came to an end in 2019 when he was given permission to join Inter on loan and put an end to his nightmarish time at Old Trafford.

It's been five years since the infamous Henrikh Mkhitaryan-Alexis Sánchez swap deal 🔄

Alexis at United: Five goals, nine assists in 45 games, left for Inter and Marseille since

Mkhitaryan at Arsenal: Nine goals, 13 assists in 59 games, left for Roma and Inter since

💀 pic.twitter.com/gYNT8hUbEB

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 22, 2023

2. Antony

A couple of wingers top this list, starting with another Ajax-to-Manchester United move which failed miserably. To put it simply, five goals in 62 games did not justify an £82 million transfer fee.

The fidget spinner himself was more known for his random antics on the field rather than his moments of quality. There were a few, to be fair, such as goals early on in his career and a dramatic winner against Barcelona once upon a time, but as stated, it wasn't enough for his lofty fee and expectations.

He reinvented himself with a loan to La Liga side Real Betis, helping them reach the UEFA Conference League final, where they lost to Chelsea. He looks much more like the Ajax player that demanded such a hefty fee back in the day, raising the question about whether it was the player or his environment that led to his failure in Manchester.

🚨 Antony dismissed talk of personal awards, saying his focus is on improving and helping the team succeed:

🗣️ “I am not thinking about the Ballon d’Or,” Antony said. “My goal is to work hard daily, contribute to the team, and keep evolving as a player.”

🗣️ “I know what I’m… pic.twitter.com/sjWaQfKsl7

— FOOTY HUB (@footy_hubX) October 11, 2025

1. Jadon Sancho

And taking the top spot on our list, Jadon Sancho.

The former Borussia Dortmund winger arrived with high expectations derived from mouth-watering numbers. Formerly of the Manchester City and Watford academies, Sancho left defenders in his wake and The Yellow Wall drooling over his showings in black and yellow for Dortmund, before making the £70m+ switch to Old Trafford back in 2021.

A particular Sky Sports Germany show would set the tone for what was to come for Sancho as well as Football Twitter as a whole with a "007" graphic (zero goals, zero assists, seven games), and things would never truly get going for him. He had a few moments of quality in red, but his perceived laziness, public disputes with Erik ten Hag and a string of underwhelming performances meant that Sancho never justified his lofty fee either, and his 18 goal contributions for United meant he never really came close to his Dortmund output either.

Hated by the fanbase and miles short of the player he once was, there is every suggestion that deems Sancho as the worst signing in Manchester United history.