Manchester United’s 10 Worst Premier League Signings

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It seems that Jose Mourinho has spent the past two months or more lamenting the lack of signings that Manchester United have made for the 2018/2019 season. But regardless of the Portuguese’s “please sir, can I have some more?” approach to Ed Woodward over his central defenders, the Red Devils are stuck with what they’ve got until at least January. And let’s face it, while this current United squad could certainly be improved upon, it’s not the worst group of players the Old Trafford outfit have ever had.

On that topic then, while Manchester United are England’s most successful clubs and one of the very biggest clubs in world football, that’s not to say that they’ve not had their fair share of utterly abysmal signings. Whether you’re a footballing giant or a semi-professional minnow of the game, there are always going to be those signings that end up becoming legends at a club, and those other signings that end up being total and utter flops. And let’s not make any mistake, the almighty Manchester United have most definitely had their share of flops.

With that in mind then, what we’re showcasing here are the 10 worst signings to be made by Manchester Untied since the Premier League began back in 1992.

#10 Diego Forlan

To this very day, the name of Diego Forlan is still regularly sung at Old Trafford – which is a testament to what scoring past Liverpool will do for a Manchester United player.

Before and after his United stint, Forlan was utterly prolific wherever he went. At Independiente, he bagged 40 goals in 91 games in order to secure a £7 million move to Old Trafford, and his post-United days score him regularly on the scoresheet for Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Internacional, Cerezo Osaka, Penarol, Mumbai City, Kitchee, and, of course, the Uruguay national team – not to mention taking home the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.

So, what happened at Manchester United, then?

Signed by Ferguson in early 2002, Forlan’s role in the 2001/2002 season saw him make 18 appearances, yet not muster a single goal for his new club. And when his first goal did eventually come in September ’02, it was a penalty in a Champions League match against Maccabi Haifa.

As alluded to, though, Forlan etched his name in Manchester United history by bagging a brace in a 2-1 away win over fierce rivals Liverpool.

Forlan’s time at United would come to an end in 2004, and the idea of him being the man to drive the Red Devils to success sadly never really came to be. The initial plan was to pair Forlan with the prolific Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but he spent the majority of his time behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then Louis Saha.

#9 Owen Hargreaves

The story of Owen Hargreaves really is one of modern football’s great tragedies. Clearly an absolutely phenomenal footballer, the Canadian-born English midfielder was cruelly plagued by injuries to the point that he retired at the age of just 31.

Despite the English media and the majority of England fans often lambasting Hargreaves – then at FC Bayern – for his performances for the Three Lions under then-manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, the energetic star would go on to become a pivotal part of the England team and mark himself out as one of the best ball-winning players of his generation. Not only that, Hargreaves was technically superb, was extremely versatile, and could run for days and days. And so, it was no surprise when Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to Old Trafford in 2007.

Back then, the £17 million transfer of Hargreaves was actually meant to happen the previous year – in the aftermath of Hargreaves’ breathtaking 2006 World Cup performances – but the player suffered an unfortunate leg break. In hindsight, that injury looked to be the start of the end for Hargreaves, and by the time all was said and done at Manchester United, he had become a shell of his former self.

To put some perspective on just how badly his time at Old Trafford was affected by injury, Hargreaves made a total of 39 appearances for the Red Devils over four seasons – with 34 of those appearances coming in his very first season! When fit during that first year, Owen Hargreaves was as great as he’d ever been. It’s just such a shame that injuries were soon to take their toll, with his United contract eventually allowed to run out in 2011 and a forced retirement around the corner in 2012.

#8 Angel Di Maria

Some of the players featured in this article are here on their own merits – as in they were absolutely shocking during their time at Manchester United – while others are here for reasons not necessarily down to themselves. Enter, Angel Di Maria.

The Argentinian is still one of the very best attacking players in the world to this day, but his time at Old Trafford is one that was quite frankly miserable; miserable to watch, miserable for him, and clearly miserable for his manager at the time, Louis van Gaal.

United actually broke the British transfer record when they signed Di Maria from Real Madrid for a hefty £60 million pound, with van Gaal lamenting how the Red Devils desperately needed a quick, direct player who could run with the ball. Given how his pace, directness, and dribbling ability were all at the highest level, you’d think Di Maria would be the perfect solution to van Gaal’s problem. Only he wasn’t, because the former Ajax and FC Bayern chief then decided to stifle Di Maria’s creativity and discourage him from running with the ball. Odd? Sure. But then van Gaal’s time in the Old Trafford dugout was one often filled with odd decisions.

After just a solitary season at United, Di Maria was sold to Paris St-Germain for a reported £44 million. Still only 30 years of age, the Argentine is continuing to prove to be a top quality player for the Ligue 1 Champions. And while he is rightly viewed as one of the worst signings in Manchester United history, you can’t help but feel sorry for the player given the restrictions forced upon him by van Gaal.

#7 Juan Sebastian Veron

If there was ever somebody that I didn’t want to include here, it’s Seba Veron.

Argentine playmaker Juan Sebastian Veron was a simply magnificent footballer to watch; his range of passing being truly exquisite, his vision second to none, his long-range shots legendary, his all-action aggression so graceful, and his flowing body shape exemplary. But for whatever reason, Veron just couldn’t hack it at Manchester United.

Nicknamed the Little Witch, Veron was viewed as one of the world’s greatest midfielders when he signed for Untied in a £28 million deal back in 2001. Having mesmerized during his time in Serie A with Sampdoria, Parma, and Lazio, Veron was seen as the perfect addition to an already brilliant United squad. For Seba though, it quickly became clear that the frenetic, intense pace of the Premier League was just simply too much for him and his particular style of play.

Veron did have some good games in a United shirt – largely in European ties – but his hefty price tag and far-too-frequent poor performances means he can’t be looked at as anything but an Old Trafford flop. Similarly, a £15 million move to Chelsea again reiterated that Veron just was not suited to Premier League football.

Upon returning to Italy with Inter Milan, Veron soon recemented his position as one of the world’s best, and he would eventually retire at boyhood club Estudiantes in 2014.

#6 Kleberson

There are some players out there who you’re amazed they won certain trophies. For instance, Wes Brown is a two-time(!) Champions League winner. Wes. Brown. Let that sink in for a minute. But elsewhere, Kleberson is a World Cup winner. Not only that, but the Brazilian even assisted a goal in his side’s 2-0 World Cup final win over Germany.

Then again, I’d fancy my chances of getting an assist if I was passing the ball to the legendary Ronaldo.

The point being, fresh off the back of World Cup success, Kleberson ended up making the move from Atletico Paranaense to Manchester United for a fee in the region of £6.5 million on the very same day that a youngster by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo was also unveiled by Sir Alex Ferguson. United had already seen one South American midfielder flop – that being Juan Sebastian Veron – and so they looked to fill that void with Kleberson. And much like Veron, the Brazil star never looked comfortable at Old Trafford.

To be fair to Veron, of course, he did have moments of brilliance and the odd rare game for United. Where Kleberson was concerned, he was awful from the get-go – not helped by picking up an injury in only his second appearance for the Red Devils.

Injuries, homesickness, and simply awful form saw Kleberson leave United after just two years and 20 appearances. Spells in Turkey, Brazil, and the United States followed after Kleberson’s spell at the Theatre off Dreams came to an end, before the midfielder finally called time on his career back in 2016.

#5 Bebe

Famously, Sir Alex Ferguson never actually saw Bebe play before bringing him to Manchester United in 2010. The legendary manager has stated that that was the one and only time that he’d signed someone without ever having seen him kick a ball.

As Fergie himself explained, “This was a first for me, but we rate our scouting department very highly and our scout in Portugal was adamant we needed to do something, and quickly.”

To give some background on all of this, Bebe had played for some lower level and amateur teams in Portugal – even competing at the 2009 European Street Football Festival – before he somehow ended up at Old Trafford. An average-at-best 2009/2010 season for Amadora saw him offered to clubs for an initial $125,000, before he was then offered to certain European clubs for free. Vitoria de Guimaraes took up the offer, although his stay there didn’t last all that long – a good pre-season seeing Bebe’s release clause set at €9 million, and then word of mouth saw Fergie splash out £7.4 million on him.

Ferguson claims that former assistant Carlos Queiroz had tipped him off about a hugely special talent that Real Madrid were about to move for – yes, that was Bebe – while Queiroz himself has since denied such allegations.

Either way, Bebe was way out of his depth at the Theatre of Dreams, and his United career was largely spent out on loan before finally departing the club in 2014.

Now 28, Bebe has recently made the permanent move to Rayo Vallecano.

#4 William Prunier

Err, who? Exactly!

You know how when you’re playing football as a kid and you let one of your friend’s friends play just out of kindness? Well, the case of William Prunier wasn’t too dissimilar to that.

Back in 1995, Manchester United were an all-powerful force of nature in English football. But when disaster struck in the form of injuries to Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, and even perennial sub David May, Sir Alex Ferguson was left with a major defensive dilemma. Then he heard of this French centre-half pal of Eric Cantona’s who could well be the solution he was looking for.

Prunier came from strong stock, having been a part of the impressive Auxerre youth setup that had also given the footballing world Cantona and Basile Boli. And not just a decent youngster, Prunier had even gone on to play for his national team and former European Cup winners, Marseille. Unfortunately, the pace of the Premier League was seemingly too much for the Frenchman, though. Or more importantly, the pace of Chris Armstrong.

Having arrived for a trial period during ’95, Prunier found himself thrust straight into the starting XI as an injury-hit United defeated QPR. In that game, Prunier actually impressed, getting an assist and showcasing his ability as a ball-playing centre-back. It was the following fixture against Spurs (and a rampant Armstrong) that saw Prunier’s Old Trafford career fall apart, however.

Untied were decimated 4-1 by Tottenham, with Armstrong on electric form. The centre-back pairing of William Prunier and Gary Neville looked absolutely shocking; not helped by injuries to Denis Irwin and Peter Schmeichel.

And that, as they say, was that. Ferguson actually wanted to keep Prunier, but the defender was having none of it – promptly declining Fergie’s offer and becoming a well-travelled journeyman before retiring in 2004.

#2 Massimo Taibi

It was always going to prove difficult to replace the iconic Peter Schmeichel, but replacing the Great Dane proved one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s toughest tasks during his legendary tenure at Manchester United. But boy, did Fergie soon find out that Italian stopper Massimo Taibi wasn’t up to the job.

After Schmeichel’s 1999 departure, Fergie’s first move was to bring in former United trainee Mark Bosnich. Arriving from Aston Villa on a free transfer, hopes were high that the Australian could take his impressive Villa performances and up his game to a whole new level at Old Trafford. With injury striking both Bosnich and back-up ‘keeper Raimond van der Gouw, Fergie had to do something and do something quick – and thus Venezzia must have been laughing their socks off when United offered them £4.5 million for Taibi.

To be fair, Taibi made a Man of the Match debut against longtime rivals Liverpool, but that was as good as it got for the Italian. When you soon become nicknamed the Blind Venetian, you know something must’ve gone wrong, and wrong it did indeed go.

Famously, a 3-3 draw against Southampton saw Taibi put in one of the worst performances in Premier League history; all capped off by letting a tame Matt Le Tissier effort squirm under his body. After a 5-0 hammering from Chelsea, enough was enough and Taibi’s United career was brought to a screaming halt after just four appearances.

Barely four months after his arrival, the goalkeeper was sent out on loan to Reggina before a permanent transfer followed that summer – and with that, one of the briefest, yet most brutal Old Trafford careers was done and dusted.

#2 Eric Djemba-Djemba

Oh how the Old Trafford faithful chuckled as they lauded Eric Djemba-Djemba as “so good they named him twice.” Only the truth of the matter soon became clear. If this was somebody who really was named based on his footballing ability, Eric Djemba-Djemba would be better served as The Man With No Name.

After impressive performances in the African Nations Cup and World Cup in 2002, Eric Djemba-Djemba was brought to the Theatre of Dreams as a long-term replacement for Roy Keane – something with seems laughable with the power of hindsight.

The Cameroonian looked massively out of his depth at Old Trafford, and even more alarm bells were raised when he reportedly bought ten 4×4 cars and opened thirty different bank accounts. Because obviously that’s the sort of thing a grounded, level-headed young footballer would do…

Djemba-Djemba’s Manchester United career would last barely eighteen months, and, after a move to Aston Villa similarly flopped, his career has taken in spells in Qatar, Denmark, Israel, Serbia, Scotland, India, Indonesia, France, and currently Switzerland, where the 37-year-old midfielder is on the books of FC Vallorbe-Ballaigues in the Swiss fifth tier. But, so good they named him twice, right? Yeah, maybe not.

#1 Anderson

Believe it or not, Anderson is still only 30 years of age and is actually now playing in Turkey’s second division.

At one point in time, the Brazilian was seen as one of the biggest can’t-miss prospects in world football. Having wowed during his early days at Gremio and FC Porto, Anderson was a youngster full of attacking verve, creative flair, and with the ability to do what few others of his age could do. Back then, he was literally the hottest prospect in the game. Oh, how the mighty have fallen…

On a fateful day back in 2009, Manchester United unveiled two of the most in-demand youngsters in world football: Anderson and Nani.

Nani himself certainly had his fair share of ups and downs at Old Trafford, but Anderson was a different level altogether. Signed as a creative attacking midfield player, the Brazilian was often utilised in a more deep-sitting, defensive midfield position – including famously marking Steven Gerrard out of the game during a match against Liverpool. For all his promise and potential, though, Anderson’s career soon began on a downward spiral when it became apparent that his attitude wasn’t exactly the best. Throw in some unfortunate injuries, and his time at Manchester United is seen as one of the great “what ifs?” by many Red Devils fans.

What makes Anderson a particularly awful signing is how his eventual United exit happened. Signed for a whopping £25 million in 2007, an unfit and overweight Anderson would be given a free transfer in 2015.

Things didn’t improve for the then-26-year-old, with him missing a penalty on his Internacional debut, then being substituted in his second game after he required an oxygen mask; so unfit was he!