Manchester United's Jadon Sancho. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Wire)placeholder image
Manchester United's Jadon Sancho. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Wire)
Man Utd had a clearing of the decks in the summer but who was the biggest flop out of these five players?
The Red Devils boss will be happy to move on the players who don’t want to play for him, but it will take more than two transfer windows to rebuild and to be entirely happy with the ones that he has available.
There has been a good start to the season in terms of creating chances and in terms of statistics which means that United aren’t far away from clicking, especially if Benjamin Sesko can find some goalscoring form.
The five biggest Man Utd transfer flops out of summer exits
Amorim knew full well the situation that he was inheriting with a gradual move away from the ludicrous contracts of the past meaning that the priority was always going to be about getting players out the door. Losses have been made on the players who have left and this is how the deals rank in terms of what the player contributed to United before their ultimate demise.
5 - Andre Onana
Bought for £47m, Andre Onana is poised to join Trabzonspor on loan with no obligation or option to buy. The deadline deal for Senne Lammens meant that the Cameroon international didn’t have long to find a new club after being deemed surplus to requirements. The former Inter Milan keeper will be back next summer but it would be a surprise to see him between the sticks again. He played over 100 games for United and yet good performances could be counted on a single hand.
4 - Rasmus Hojlund
With a £72m price tag, there was always an element of risk about Rasmus Hojlund’s transfer from Atalanta. One decent season in Italy saw the Dane attract a lot of attention but it was clear from the outset that United had overpaid.
Never short of effort and with an attitude that Amorim could do with from the rest of the squad, the problem was that Hojlund played too many games, too soon, and with too high an expectation because of the transfer fee.
With 14 goals in 62 Premier League games, Hojlund scored at a rate of over £5m for each goal in terms of what was paid for his services. A loan move to Napoli could see United recoup half of that, but only if he plays a certain number of games and the Serie A champions qualify for the Champions League.
3 - Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho joined Chelsea in a £41m deal which on paper and for PSR helps the bottom line due to his status as an academy player. With 26 goal contributions in 93 appearances, his output should be easily replaced and players like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha should be looking to do that in one season never mind in nearly 100 games.
Normally, it would be a good fee for a player with that sort of return, however, United once valued Garnacho at £100m. How much of the problem was the player will soon be discovered if he isn’t playing at Chelsea.
2 - Antony
Like Hojlund, Antony’s £86m transfer fee never made sense. A player who was, reportedly, valued by United’s recruitment team at less than £40m saw a late panic buy push the price sky high. His numbers for Ajax were ok, but 18 goals in 57 Eredivisie appearances isn’t exactly world beating for a forward in a dominant team. At £16.2m per Premier League goal, the Brazil international has been a monumental waste of money.
1 - Jadon Sancho
Unlike the other names on this list Jadon Sancho was worth the transfer fee and wages when he was signed, with nearly 100 goal contributions in 118 Bundesliga appearances, United thought they were getting a long-term solution for the right wing.
At Borussia Dortmund he was one of Europe’s most creative forwards. A slow start, personal problems and then fall-outs with every manager has meant his time at Old Trafford has been a massive let down. The £73m fee wasn’t excessive, but it is looking increasingly likely that his exorbitant salary means that he will one day leave on a free transfer.
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