Manchester United’s net spending over the past five years has been revealed in a UEFA report showing they have spent more than any other team in the world, but the return on investment is concerning.
Manchester United’s transfer activities continue to be questioned (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester United’s recruitment and retention has painted a bleak picture since Sir Alex Ferguson, but never more so than in the past five years.
Although their net transfer spending over the past five years has been the highest in the world, they are still far from the dominant force in the Premier League. They are not regulars in the Champions League either.
In fact, the Manchester side, who spent a net fee of £692m, only have access to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. The figures cover a five-year period and are detailed in UEFA’s financial report. They have spent more money than Chelsea (£656m) and Arsenal (£587m), but there are still many holes in their squad.
This summer they have shown signs of new growth, signing proven performers Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. Despite his late start, Benjamin Sesco was considered one of the best young strikers in Europe.
However, from 2021 onwards, United have had three permanent managers, a new ownership structure was introduced and the hierarchy has changed significantly, including a different sporting director. Add it all up and there’s a ton of different strategies out there, most of which aren’t working.
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That meant huge amounts of money were spent on players who didn’t produce results. A story that has been passed down forever. Similarly, clubs have overlooked players who were on their books. In the years following Ferguson’s departure, the club were interested in big names and often downplayed some of the talent they already had.
They are trying to move on from that situation, but the success of former Old Trafford players suggests they are still in the wrong. The numbers don’t lie, and United’s reputation as a bad buy and sell isn’t unfounded, as we detail some of the market’s biggest failures.
Antony’s Wish of Ten Hag
United’s failure since 2013, in a nutshell, is that they have always given the manager the power to sign the players he wants, sometimes for the money he wants. Whatever Erik ten Hag pitched about Anthony to the United bosses worked. They even paid an initial £80 million to sign the Brazilian, who had enjoyed a fantastic spell at Ajax. But he certainly wasn’t worth that amount of money.
Erik ten Hag found love within months of arriving in Manchester
Although his debut goal against Arsenal was impressive, within a few months he was once again the poster child for a summer of failed recruitment. The unfortunate thing about the conditions at Old Trafford is that, although Anthony looked like a capable player at Real Betis, joining the Spanish team for £21 million would represent a huge loss.
unproven hoilund
Not content with spending big on an unproven player Ten Hag wanted, United pulled off the same trick a year later. Needing a striker, the club scoured the market and landed on the 20-year-old Dane, who played 34 times for Atalanta and scored 10 goals.
United’s manager at the time dismissed concerns about his age and lack of experience. Instead, he was sold as a long-term player. Still, £70m is a lot of money for a project player who didn’t score his first Premier League goal until late December. Two years later, he was deemed fit and is now at Napoli, with a £38m clause to sign him in the summer.
Rasmus Hjølund and Scott McTominay call home to Napoli after being deemed fit at Old Trafford (Image: Getty Images)
great mctominay
In Italy, Hojlund can count Scott McTominay, who was named Serie A’s best player last year, as a teammate. The same McTominay formed part of a defensive midfield duo with Fred, known as McFred, but was sometimes ridiculed. The Scot was never seen as a player who could be overly productive in the final third.
His goalscoring feats in his final season were something of a shock and Ten Hag were willing to move him on for £25m. For context, Arsenal signed Emile Smith Rowe in the summer of the same year in search of more money. McTominay would be the big winner in this move, winning a title in Italy, gaining a new and passionate fan base and receiving a deal worth more than double the amount United sold him for.
Ole’s last summer ended in failure.
McTominay was part of United’s squad in the summer of 2021 when Ole Gunnar Solskjær made the final move in the transfer window after they were languishing in second place. His exploits include the £70m signing of Jadon Sancho, the £34m deal of Raphael Varane and the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Jadon Sancho signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjær but is far from repaying his fee
Within a few months, the Norwegian manager was sacked following a major meltdown. Ronaldo’s influence is questionable, while Sancho has not achieved enough to justify his fee and is set to leave for free when his contract expires this summer. Varane was also sent off for free. It was a summer in which much was expected, but very little materialized.
young people are undervalued
If Solskjær has done anything, it has largely been to challenge young players. However, as in the case of Dean Henderson, some of his loyalty came at the cost of the club. The goalkeeper was next in line when he returned from Sheffield United, but Solskjær remained loyal to David de Gea and Henderson’s patience ran thin. He was sold for just £15 million and went on to become an FA Cup winner.
Anthony Elanga, who played for Nottingham Forest last season, scored the winning goal to defeat United. His achievements earned him a £55m move to Newcastle, two years after the Red Devils signed him for £15m.
These are by no means two separate incidents. Alvaro Carreras once called Manchester home, but was never seen again until 2024, when he was sold to Benfica for £7.8 million. A year later, Real Madrid paid £43 million to bring him to the Bernabéu. United either underestimate or underestimate these players. Either way, it doesn’t look good and affects your balance sheet.
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