The greatest United value for money signings ever

[Amir]

It is in today's money, but at the time Rooney and Ferdinand were near record/record fees for players of their age (and considered very expensive, I recall people mocking us for getting "ripped off" for Rio in particular). I'm not sure they should be considered "bargins" though in hindsight and given the decade plus of success they heralded maybe it was.

Aye. If a deal was considered expensive at the time - british records, biggest fees dor defenders/teenagers, etc - it can't be considered a bargain.

Memories are short. People are looking at the 80 million Ronaldo cost in 2009 and think we were robbed. But ten years ago it was considered crazy money.

 

[Amir]

I personally think Van Persie. He was bought to win the league and let’s face it he won us the league on his own. So basically, sir Alex won the league for 24m. Whereas City have spent 100s of millions to win the league. Pep would never have been able to win the league unless he spent big. Which is why I feel Sir Alex is the best ever.

Don't see why we need that comparison. Fergie wouldn't have been in the position that would allow one player to make such a difference had he not been in the job for so many years - years that included a lot of investing over a long period of time.

Guardiola spent a lot building his City, but only signed one player last summer and they haven't been that busy in the market this year either.

 

[simplyared]

I'll go for 2 class wingers (bought 1975) from the Tommy Doc era:
Steve Copell 60000 from Tranmere
Gordon Hill 70000 from Millwall
Both went on to play for England although Coppell would win it in terms of bargain buys.
Of course King Eric and Ronny are the obvious choices but the other 2 certainly deserve a mention imo.

 

[Red For Ever]

Surely Cantona was probably the best business saf has ever done.

For me the best signing ever, and the best value.

When we signed him for 1.1 million I think, I thought it was a complete waste of money and time.

In my opinion he turned out to be one of the most important players in my time as a supporter of United

There have been lots of great value signings, but this was exceptional.

 

[red4ever 79]

Peter Schmeichel is another. Joined for 500,000 in 91 and gave us 8 years of service being the best GK in the world.

 

[RedNed77]

Surely Cantona was probably the best business saf has ever done.

Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down for this answer. Guy was the catalyst for everything that happened after. £1m too!!!

 

[Buster15]

Has to be Eric Cantona closely followed by Christiano Ronaldo.

 

[Full bodied red]

Cantona, easily

Plus one here.....

Vidic and Evra - both in a January window, oddly

And this one as well....



And can I add Sheringham as well ? Not expensive and Barcelona '99 wouldn't have happened if he hadn't come on with OGS.....

 

[Big Andy]

Lee Sharpe for £200,000 was phenomenal for a few seasons. Won the Young player of the year in 1990.

Career nosedived in the end due to lack 9f focus and desire.

And Viral Meningitis, knocked him back and he didn't really kick on after that as he lost his place on the left to Giggsy and was shunted out to the right instead.

 

[Honest John]

Cantona - easily

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

When it comes to value for money, nobody can beat our 2005-06 transfers.

Edwin van der Sar - £2m
Ji-Sung Park - £4m
Nemanja Vidic - £7m
Patrice Evra - £5m

4 key players for the next half-decade, all in one season, for less than £20m.

 

[Harry190]

Forever and ever Dennis Irwin. He's the Brett Hitman Hart of full backs.

A spanking Rolls-Royce for the price of a used Corolla.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

add Kanchelskis for 650k - was another great deal

Great shout. Such a good player for us - I wonder whether he would have been able to sustain that if he stayed, he did ok at Everton, but he was on a clear downward trajectory after us.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

When it comes to value for money, nobody can beat our 2005-06 transfers.

Edwin van der Sar - £2m
Ji-Sung Park - £4m
Nemanja Vidic - £7m
Patrice Evra - £5m

4 key players for the next half-decade, all in one season, for less than £20m.

Excellent point - and I can imagine no one was excited by any of these signings at the time, VDS aside, all needed a little time to settle, but 4 fantastic players. I remember Vidic was announced on Xmas day I think - had never heard of him.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

I feel like all the real value for money signings have been said already. That said, I guess Daley Blind for £14m was quite decent. Prices had already gone pretty crazy at the time so it didn't feel like a lot of money at all, and he was a useful player. He ended up being one of our better signings of that era as well as the cheapest. Still not sure why we sold him really

 

[buckooo1978]

Great shout. Such a good player for us - I wonder whether he would have been able to sustain that if he stayed, he did ok at Everton, but he was on a clear downward trajectory after us.

never forget watching a game against Italy. He was playing for the international side that replaced the Soviet Union before Ukraine etc had their own teams.

only player I remember seeing torturing Paolo Maldini

recently re-read managing my life - he was superb for us in that period 93-95

did well at Everton too

 

[rpg]

Ronaldo
Cantona
Van Persie

Those 3 are revolutionaries. Nevermind all other tit bits defenders and fullbacks.

 

[kiristao]

In hindsight a lot of players look value for money. Ronaldo, Evra, Vidic, RVP, Chicharito, Carrick and even Rooney and Rio.
What would be a more interesting thread is to see who was considered a bargain at the time of the purchase. I remember lots of people whining about the money we paid for Evra after his horror debut against City or the money we paid for Carrick when he signed. Even RVP, who was signed when in his last year of his contract with Arsenal,was considered too expensive and too Injury prone. If I remember correctly, the only player who was considered good value pretty much from day 1 was Ronaldo.

 

[westmeath]

Eric Cantona. That is all.

 

[manunited1919]

Cristiano Ronaldo !!

Twice. Once for us, and once for Real Madrid. I think RM would get the best signing ever crown.

 

[redmanx]

Got to be Eric Cantona, 1.2 million wasn't a huge some in 1993 but many so called experts said it was a waste of money for him, thankfully Alex Ferguson thought differently and Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson was happy to let Eric go, the rest is history. Today, Eric would be priceless.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

That time when we swapped the flop Mkhitaryan for one of the Premier League's top players!

 

[TRUERED89]

When it comes to value for money, nobody can beat our 2005-06 transfers.

Edwin van der Sar - £2m
Ji-Sung Park - £4m
Nemanja Vidic - £7m
Patrice Evra - £5m

4 key players for the next half-decade, all in one season, for less than £20m.

Amazing, SAF & Gill were a great team.

 

[Hackman2210]

Cantona - the catalyst for everything. To me the one player who embodied what UTD stands for, fearless, talented, borderline insane in a good way. Just pure brute strength but with the finesse of a ballerina. Not afraid to say it - I loved Eric cantona, in fact i still do........

 

[Ish]

Cantona.

 

[K13]

Lee Sharpe for £200,000 was phenomenal for a few seasons. Won the Young player of the year in 1990.

Career nosedived in the end due to lack 9f focus and desire.

and injuries .. lots of them. Knee mainly

 

[MS4]

That time when we swapped the flop Mkhitaryan for one of the Premier League's top players!

It was too good to be true. I was so hyped.
And now we are here

 

[K13]

There are a few players we secured on contracts as youngsters who turned out to be quite useful.

Duncan Edwards apparently cost us a washing machine when Wolves were also keen to sign him on an amateur contract

Giggs - at 14 offered a pro contract when he turned 17 rather than YTS

 

[mitchmouse]

28 year old GK playing in Danish league, CAF would have moaned about this transfer every day, forget day, every hour moaning how low we have fallen, signing 28 year old GK from Danish club.

was he really 28 already? I suppose in those days (and it was very much an SAF thing) keepers couldn't be young, and they didn't mature till about 40!

 

[Gopher Brown]

I think you need to look at transfer fees in the context of the market at the time.

Roy Keane was a British record at £3.75m, but that is obviously peanuts now.

Denis Law cost £110k, and had a far greater impact than many of the names here.

 

[Buster15]

Has to be Eric Cantona closely followed by Christiano Ronaldo.

And to those I should have added the great full back Denis Irwin.

 

[TRUERED89]

And to those I should have added the great full back Denis Irwin.

You do know you can edit your own posts right? Rather than quote yourself but hey ho if that's what you prefer

 

[WR10]

Has to be RVP. Single handedly won us the league

 

[We need an rvn]

Keane at £3.75m surely has to be up there. The standard he expected of everyone had a huge amount to play in our success

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Schmeichel - end of

 

[Denis79]

Looking at what they brought to the club it has to be Cantona for me. The spark that triggered something really special.

 

[dutchred]

Looking at what they brought to the club it has to be Cantona for me. The spark that triggered something really special.

Agree, Eric started the Fergie revolution

 

[JakeC]

Van Der Sar
Irwin
O'Shea
Vidic
Evra
Park
Carrick
Tevez
Kanchelskis
Cantona
Rooney

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Joe Jordan £350.000
Gordon McQueen £495.000

They were actually quite dear. If Keegan hadn't gone for about a half a million the year before (out) and Dalglish (in), I think they'd both have been new transfer fee records for UK.

That said, liked both of them.... McQueen was the better buy imo - (better player, stayed longer) but Jordan was a cult hero and most fans love a player who gives 100% and 'gets stuck in'.... a defenders nightmare.

 

[KGBhoy]

Am I gonna be the first smartass to mention Ryan Giggs? Free and a legend.