Listing the biggest transfer deadline days conducted by Manchester United. Manchester United appear to have wrapped up most – if not all – of their ...
Listing the biggest transfer deadline days conducted by Manchester United.
Manchester United appear to have wrapped up most – if not all – of their deals this summer ahead of deadline day.
Unless there is a last-minute move for a left-back, Michael Carrick will continue with the same squad, even though Luke Shaw has raised more questions than answers with his performances against Hull City and Ipswich Town.
Here are United’s five biggest deadline day deals ranked from fifth to first.
Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
Uruguayan hero Edinson Cavani completed a high-profile deadline-day move to United on October 5, 2020. The experienced striker arrived as a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, only to follow in the same footsteps as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Handed the iconic number 7 shirt, Cavani signed a one-year deal with an option to extend that by a further 12 months.
Cavani made 59 appearances for United and scored 19 goals. He joined United towards the end of his career and was brilliant whenever fit.
On September 1, 2015, Anthony Martial became a United player after signing a deal that cost the club an initial £36m (with the potential of rising to £58m), making the French starlet the most expensive teenager in football at the time.
Although there was plenty of excitement about Martial initially, especially after scoring a stunning solo goal on his debut against Liverpool at Anfield, his nine years at Old Trafford were incredibly underwhelming.
Martial made 317 appearances for the Reds, scoring 90 goals and registering 54 assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo finalised his return to United from Juventus on deadline day, August 31, 2021.
The homecoming itself was sensational as Ronaldo scored in his first game back against Newcastle at Old Trafford. Eventually, things would turn sour following two managerial changes, with Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag arriving for separate spells.
Across his second spell at Old Trafford, Ronaldo scored 27 goals in 54 appearances as an ageing forward. He left following a mutual agreement, albeit under a grey cloud after falling out with key figures at the club.
This transfer is probably the most iconic of the lot.
Dimitar Berbatov signed for United in a famous deadline-day transfer on September 1, 2008. Man City attempted to hijack the deal after submitting an accepted bid, before Sir Alex Ferguson personally picked up the striker from Manchester Airport.
The former Bulgaria international spent four seasons at United, accumulating 56 goals and 27 assists in 149 appearances.
At the age of 18, Wayne Rooney joined United on a summer deadline-day transfer, leaving Everton, where he became England’s most wanted rising star.
The initial £27m fee made him the most expensive teenager in world football at the time. Thankfully for United, Rooney lived up to expectations and is currently the club’s top scorer with 253 goals.
Rooney spent 13 seasons at United and proved worth every penny United paid for him in 2004.
