Where are they now? Man Utd’s 10 most expensive January signings

Over the years Manchester United have made plenty of blockbuster signings in the January window and we’ve checked in on their 10 most expensive winter signings.

The January window is often a tough one for clubs to crack as they will often have to pay over the odds in order to land their main targets.

United have spent plenty of money over the years and we’ve checked out where their 10 most expensive January signings are today.

Note: all transfer figures used have been gathered from Transfermarkt.

10. Andy Cole – £8.3million

United managed to prize Cole away from Newcastle in January 1995 and it didn’t take him long to make an impact in his new surroundings. Cole went on to score 121 goals for the club across seven trophy-filled years.

Since hanging up his boots in 2008, Cole has taken up several coaching and punditry roles. The 52-year-old is also known for his charity work with the Andy Cole Fund which raises money for Kidney Research UK.

9. Nemanja Vidic‎ – £9.1million

The Serbian centre-half was hard as nails and almost instantly improved United at the back upon his arrival in 2005. Vidic formed a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand and won 16 trophies during his stay at Old Trafford.

He announced his retirement from professional football in 2014 and has since enrolled in UEFA’s Executive Master for International Players course.

“I want to be someone who can affect football and bring something to it, from the perspective of the fans and the players,” Vidic told the i last year.

8. Diego Forlan – £9.5million

United fans never saw the best of Forlan, although he still conjured up some iconic moments, including that brace against Liverpool.

During his post-playing career, Forlan has dipped his toe into coaching as he took up short roles at Uruguayan outfits Penarol and Atenas.

7. Wilfried Zaha – £10.2million

The move to Old Trafford probably came too soon for Zaha as he struggled to establish himself as a regular at the Theatre of Dreams.

There can be little debate that he ranks among the best Crystal Palace players of all time and the 31-year-old is now seemingly loving life in his new surroundings at Galatasaray.

He was even on hand to open the scoring for Galatasaray against his former club back in October as the Turkish side claimed a historic win at Old Trafford.

Well… that lead didn't last long for Manchester United 😬

Wilfried Zaha levels the score against his former club on his return to England 👊#UCL pic.twitter.com/vZWZpLZUft

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 3, 2023

6. Odion Ighalo – £10.4million (loan fee)

It does seem bizarre that United’s sixth biggest January deal was to secure Ighalo on loan in 2020. The Nigerian forward didn’t pull up many trees during his loan spell, although he did chip in with a few useful goals in cup competitions.

He’s spent the last four years playing in Saudi Arabia and has made it no secret that the decision to join the Saudi Pro League was a financial one.

“I’ve played for passion all my life, now it’s for money,” Ighalo told OmaSportsTV. “I’m not one of those players who come and say: ‘I play for passion’. Brother, it’s money. At the end of the day, it’s money.”

5. Louis Saha – £15.2million

The French forward got his hands on four trophies during his spell with United and managed to bag an impressive 42 goals.

Following his retirement from football in 2013, Saha has taken up some punditry roles and has also ventured into the business world. He is now the founder and CEO of AxisStars which is a private network for pro athletes and entertainers.

4. Amad Diallo – £18.5million

United could end up paying as much as £35million for the Ivory Coast winger if all of the add-ons within his contract are met. It’s been a slow burn for the 21-year-old in England, but things are starting to look up.

Last season he enjoyed an eye-catching loan spell with Sunderland in the Championship where he was the main driving force behind them reaching the playoffs.

Despite some injury troubles this season, he has been in and around the first team under Erik ten Hag and he looked sharp during his latest cameo against Nottingham Forest.

READ: We’re delighted to announce that Amad Diallo is Man Utd’s biggest baller

3. Alexis Sanchez – £30million

Undoubtedly the biggest flop on this entire list. Sanchez was regarded as one players in the league during his time with Arsenal, but looked like a shadow of his former self during his disastrous spell at Old Trafford.

Thankfully, he’s somewhat managed to get his career back on track since leaving England. He played some of the best football of his career with Marseille last season and has since re-joined Inter Milan.

2. Juan Mata – £38.8million

There’s a case to be made that United never really played to Mata’s strengths as he was often pushed onto the right-hand side to accommodate other players.

Regardless of that, the Spanish playmaker was a solid performer for United who chipped in with plenty of memorable moments throughout his eight-and-a-half-year stay with the club.

After leaving United, he spent a short spell in Turkey with Galatasaray and now turns out for Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe.

1. Bruno Fernandes – £56.4million

The Portuguese playmaker might rub some people the wrong way, but his output in a United shirt is absolutely off the charts. Across 211 appearances, Fernandes has produced 128 goal contributions which is a staggering return.

If United are going to get their season back on track in 2024, Fernandes will have a crucial role to play.

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