Manchester United are historically a club with humongous success both domestically as well as in Europe. The Sir Alex Ferguson-era was filled with trophies and triumphs. Since the departure of the Scot, United have endured a transition period under David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho.
Here are the top five signings Manchester United made in the past decade.
Robin Van Persie
The former Arsenal striker arrived at the club in 2012, with Ferguson looking to solve his side’s goalscoring problems.
Van Persie made an immediate impact at Old Trafford with his goals and match-turning moments. His match-winning free-kick against Manchester City to win the derby has become a part of United’s folklore.
His record at United speaks for itself with 48 goals in 86 games; he also won a Premier League title with them, something which he failed to achieve during his time at Arsenal.
Nani
The Portuguese winger was a signing, who initially made his mark at United before fading away. Under Ferguson, Nani was a regular on the right or the left wing, owing to his pace.
The manager could play a 4-4-2 system because he had Nani to rely on. He was good going forward and also helped his defence.
40 goals in 230 appearances show how influential he was as a winger. Nani had brilliance in him, and at one time, he was compared to his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.
Antonio Valencia
Valencia was initially bought by United to play as a winger. He had big boots to fill, with Ronaldo leaving the club that very summer. Valencia has raw pace and possesses great crossing abilities.
Valencia is a veteran now with 330 appearances in all competitions for the club. The Ecuadorian has done well to adapt his game and become the club’s first-choice right-back.
David de Gea
The World’s best goalkeeper arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in 2011. In the early part of his United career, he wasn’t a great as he struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.
Many touted him to eventually fail and leave the club. But De Gea had other ideas as he came back strongly and became a world-class custodian.
He has saved his team on numerous occasions and is now considered one of the top goalkeepers in the world. The Spaniard holds the joint-record for most number of saves in a single Premier League game; he achieved that feat against Arsenal.
Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgarian striker was a part of the Manchester United team which won two Premier League titles in three years. Before his arrival, there were situations when United struggled for goals.
Ferguson signed Berbatov from Tottenham to solve that issue. He was a very influential figure at United and made several impactful performances.
56 goals from 149 appearances is a very good return for a striker, who was brought to win things for the club. His strike partnership with Rooney was the highlight of his time at Old Trafford. His memorable hattrick against Liverpool will remain true to United fans’ minds for decades to come.
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