As the transfer window comes to a close Manchester United will be hoping their new signings, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao will be servants for the team along the lines of Cantona, Solskjaer, Keane, Van Der Sar and Vidic.
However not all of United’s forays into the transfer market have been as successful. For every Cristiano Ronaldo there is a Gabriel Obertan, so here is a list of the five worst Manchester United signings in the Premier League era. To qualify for this list a player must have been signed in the summer of 1992 or after and must no longer be at the club. Therefore, despite an inflated fee and a poor first season, Marouane Fellaini does not qualify as theoretically he still has the potential to turn his United career around.
Dishonourable Mentions.
Some players of note that didn’t quite make the list, yet deserve a mention for their poor careers while at Old Trafford include Mark Bosnich – a free transfer from Aston Villa, Bosnich was supposed to be the man to replace Peter Schmeichel, however Bosnich never looked up to the task. Injuries, poor form and weight issues all contributed to a short spell at Old Trafford before he moved on to Chelsea.
Liam Miller –signed from Celtic as the long term successor to Roy Keane, Miller was never able to establish himself and was allowed to leave after only two seasons. Ironically bought by the man he was supposed to replace, Roy Keane.
Fabien Barthez and Laurent Blanc, a pair of World Cup winners whose best days were not in Manchester. Blanc arrived at Old Trafford as a 36 year old replacement for Jaap Stam. He was well past his peak as he struggled with the pace of the Premier League. Barthez was another victim of the ghost of Schmeichel and his eccentricity led to errors on too many occasions. Not to mention the questionable contributions of Ricardo, Gabriel Obertan, Kleberson, Roy Carroll and Manucho during their United careers.
And so to the top 5 worst signings:
5. William Prunier – Loan from Bordeaux
Signed as defensive cover in December 1995, Prunier’s short spell in England lasted only two games. After looking unsure against QPR, his United career came to a shuddering halt after a disastrous performance against Tottenham Hotspur in which United lost 4-1 and Prunier was packed off back to France.
4. Eric Djemba-Djemba – £3.5 million from Nantes
Signed in 2003 after impressing at the 2002 World Cup for Cameroon, Eric Djemba-Djemba was another who signed in the long list of players hoping to be the long term successor to Roy Keane. Never able to establish himself in the first team he was restricted mainly to league cup performances and was sold on 2 years later for £1.5 million to Aston Villa.
3. David Bellion – £2 million from Sunderland
David Bellion was signed from Sunderland but never looked to have the quality of a Manchester United player. Limited in appearances, he spent time on loan at both West Ham and Nantes before making his stay in Nantes permanent to end his 3 year spell at Old Trafford.
2. Bebe – £7.4 million Vitória de Guimarães
Signed by Sir Alex Ferguson (despite never seeing him play), he spent spells on loans at Beşiktaş, Rio Ave and Paços de Ferreira and never managed to break into the first team, making only seven appearances in four years before being sold to Benfica for £2.5 million.
1. Massimo Taibi – £4.5 million Venezia
“The Blind Venetian” as one tabloid labelled him, he had a disastrous four game career at Old Trafford. Despite some good saves on his debut against Liverpool and also against Wimbledon, it was in his third game against Southampton where things unravelled fast. With United leading 3-2 Taibi allowed a tame shot from Matt Le Tissier slip through his legs. The match finished 3-3. This was followed up with an appalling game against Chelsea where United lost 5-0, including a Jody Morris goal which also went through Taibi’s legs. He joined Reggina on loan soon after andthe move became permanent for a £2 million loss to United
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