Manchester United have made some expensive mistakes in the transfer market while missing out on some stellar names
England are bidding to end 60 years of hurt at this summer's World Cup
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham could have been Manchester United players(Image: Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
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Manchester United could have signed Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham for less than the amount they wasted on three flops. United are finally getting their transfer house in order, with summer signings Senne Lammens, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko enjoying positive campaigns overall and looking like bedrocks of the club's future.
That followed a catalogue of failures in the transfer market, with three signings in particular standing out - Antony (£86m), Rasmus Hojlund (£72m) and Andre Onana (£47m) - who cost the club a combined £205million.
Antony was the most expensive mistake. After three underwhelming years at Old Trafford, he left permanently for Real Betis in a cut-price deal last summer.
Despite some signs of promise, Hojlund, another Erik ten Hag signing, generally toiled in the Premier League before leaving to join Scott McTominay at Napoli on loan. He looks highly unlikely to play for United again, with Napoli having an obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League.
The signing of Onana proved disastrous from the start, with the Cameroonian making a string of costly errors and regularly unnerving the defenders in front of him. After losing his place at the start of the season, it was no surprise to see him move on before the end of the summer transfer window, joining Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan.
Like Hojlund, it would be a major surprise if he plays for United again. The failure of those transfers rubs salt into the wounds, given how close they were to snaring Kane and Bellingham.
United were in for Kane ahead of his move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich in 2023. The England captain joined the German giants for an initial £ 86 million, with add-ons taking the fee beyond the £100m mark.
Andre Onana of Trabzonspor
Andre Onana is on loan at Trabzonspor(Image: Gerrit van Keulen/Getty Images)
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Former United assistant coach Benni McCarthy has since claimed that United did not push the boat out for Kane, who was 30 at the time, because of his age.
Meanwhile, United have been interested in Bellingham on several occasions, both when he signed for Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City and then when he left Germany for Real Madrid.
Rasmus Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund looks set to join Napoli permanently(Image: Getty Images)
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On the second occasion, Manchester City and Liverpool were also linked with the England star, who joined the Spanish giants for an initial £88m in the summer of 2023.
Given his age, United splashing the cash on Bellingham would have made more sense. That said, Bellingham later described the choice as a "no-brainer", citing the "size of the club" and the specific long-term project at the Bernabeu as factors that outweighed a return to England.
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