Manchester United fans are expecting a major reshuffle this summer, though they will be hoping their funds are spent better than they were back in 2009.
Cristiano Ronaldo left the Red Devils for Real Madrid in a deal worth £80million 13 years ago, and United were flush with cash.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to be one of the first to admit that some of those immense funds weren’t used particularly wisely.
United purchased Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Mame Diouf. Of the quartet, former Wigan star Valencia certainly made an impact at Old Trafford and was rewarded with the captain’s armband. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the others.
Owen’s time at United was forgettable, to say the least, despite taking Ronaldo’s iconic no.7 when he arrived at the club.
He did produce the goods on occasion, with perhaps his greatest moment in a Red Devils shirt coming in the Manchester Derby when he scored the winner in stoppage time in a 4-3 win.
The former England international did win the Premier League, League Cup and Community Shield at United during his three-year stint at the club, which was blighted with injuries. Overall, he made 31 Premier League appearances, scoring five goals.
Although he was only a £3m acquisition, Obertan too struggled to light up Old Trafford. The Frenchman only spent three seasons at United, though he did spend the first campaign out on loan at Lorient in the Ligue 1.
The winger made 14 league appearances for United, struggling with injuries and form. His opportunities became increasingly very quickly in his final season (2010/11) at United, and when Newcastle arrived with an offer for the former Bordeaux star the Red Devils were quick to cash in.
The Toon Army reportedly spent £3m on Obertan and he enjoyed five years at the club before joining Anzhi Makhachkala, then Wigan, then Levski Sofia… then BB Erzurumspor before joining Charlotte Independence on a six-month contract, which wasn’t extended at the end of the year. A true journeyman.
Perhaps Ferguson’s worst use of Ronaldo’s funds – though they won’t have made a significant inroad on the budget – was signing then-young prospect Mame Diouf.
He arrived with hopes of being the next big thing at the club very late in the window, but only ever made five league appearances for the club.
Upon Diouf’s arrival, Ferguson said: “We signed a young player yesterday from Norway, who we’ve been looking at for two years. We weren’t intending on signing anyone else after last week – we feel we have a full squad – but the situation accelerated to a point where other clubs started to make bids, so we had to decide whether we acted or didn’t act. We decided to act and he’ll be the last person we sign.”
Diouf failed to impress out on loan on Blackburn when given the chance to gain experience under Sam Allardyce, scoring six goals in 29 appearances in all competitions.
He returned to United but only ever made two league appearances for the club before joining German side Hannover 96.
The Senegal international, although a regular on the international stage, never truly lived up to his potential.
He joined Stoke City in 2014 and made 144 appearances for the club before joining Hatayspor, where the 34-year-old plays currently.
