Manchester United have not operated that well in the transfer market for many, many years.
With Ed Woodward at the helm, the team had many more misses than hits when purchasing players. However, the introduction of a new system under Erik ten Hag and John Murtough could be exactly what United need.
Before their reign is truly underway, though, we will look at the last 10 signings that the club made - ranking them from 10th to 1st.
10 - Tom Heaton
Joining from Aston Villa, Heaton's signing made sense if United were able to offload one of David de Gea or Dean Henderson. He would've been a trusted and experienced goalkeeper to rely on in smaller cup games, but it would give United the opportunity to fully put their trust in either De Gea or Henderson.
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However, since the club kept both players, Heaton was almost a useless signing for the club. Him and Lee Grant would've been picking up a kind wage packet despite only the need for one of the pair.
It was a dream scenario for the 36-year-old, who was at United through his youth career, but ultimately, the club's failure to make a firm decision on their no.1 situation made this signing bottom of the pile.
9 - Alex Telles
As a back-up left-back, Telles seemed a great option to many when he signed. He was a senior player who had seen success in Portugal and was dubbed as a crossing specialist.
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That first night in Paris, we saw some real venom in his corners which hadn't been seen for some time. We haven't really seen them since either.
It's not entirely the defenders fault that he has had to step in so often because of Luke Shaw's injuries, but the situation has only proven that he is not able to compete at the top level in the Premier League.
His defensive game is very limited, and while he has intensity when against a winger, he'll often loose track of a runner. Meanwhile, his attacking game is almost non-existent if he doesn't have acres of space to attempt crosses into the box.
The move felt like a non-risk one, with a low fee and a top class left-back ahead of him. But, United are not able to rely on him, and if Shaw does not squash his injury problems, they will need a better replacement for him than the Brazilian.
8 - Donny van de Beek
The Dutchman's time at the Theatre of Dreams just hasn't worked out at all since his move from Ajax in 2020. He's been unable to displace Bruno Fernandes in the team, even when he's been out of form, and has started only a handful of Premier League games before his loan move to Everton in January.
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The only reason that this signing is not lower is because he is yet to get the opportunity to play in his favoured position; often being pushed back to the pivot due to United's lack of quality there.
Another reason is the fact that the new manager in Erik ten Hag is the exact man who knows about Van de Beek's quality. If he's going to get a chance at the club, there's no better man in charge for it to happen under.
7 - Facundo Pellistri
Signed for a low fee, Pellistri is a greatly talented young winger as he's proven for his country and in pre-season last term. His true value is yet to be known until his development phase is finished.
6 - Amad
Similarly to his Uruguayan team-mate, Amad joined the club in the summer of 2020, but is still in development. He has shown his qualities in United's first-team, including his Europa League goal against AC Milan and a number of cameos since then.
5 - Edinson Cavani
Cavani provided a wonderful first season in England, scoring 17 goals despite starting only 21 games. His availability was an issue, but his end-of-season form made an extension seem like a great idea.
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However, it couldn't have worked out any worse, with the striker starting just eight games in all competitions and regularly missing fixtures where he would've been needed.
The terrible second year unfortunately trumped what was a great first in red.
4- Raphael Varane
This felt like an unbelievable signing when he walked out onto the Old Trafford pitch to be unveiled before the opening game of the 2021/22 campaign.
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Not just because it was very, very cool; but also because he has been one of the best defenders in Europe for many years.
Although his first year has been troubled by injuries and a poor defensive unit, Varane has showed his qualities and can be very important to the team going forward into the new era under Ten Hag.
3 - Cristiano Ronaldo
The return of one of the best players to grace the planet. It was a great individual season for Ronaldo despite the lack of silverware at the end of it, but he will feel like it's a lost chance if he doesn't lead the team to a trophy next season.
While it has been a wonderful experience to see the Portuguese back in red, you're left to think what would've been if United strengthened their midfield, instead, before the capitulation after last season.
2 - Jadon Sancho
The 21-year-old winger has had a difficult start to life at United, but will certainly be one of the most important players at the club for years to come.
It's hard to properly judge him after coming into a dysfunctional team that hit breaking point as he came in. Playing under Ten Hag, Sancho will be key.
The price and age are contributing factors to why this deal is so high up on the list, even though he hasn't produced close to what is expected of him yet.
He showed in glimpses throughout last season what he showed at Dortmund, and under a world-class, forward thinking coach, Sancho will blossom.
1 - Bruno Fernandes
It's difficult to not put Bruno Fernandes at the top of this list. Despite his dreadful form in the back-end of last season, he has been a tremendous signing for the club.
His goal contributions from when he joined were crucial to a team that were struggling to create before his signing, and while the style at which he plays in could be a trouble going forward - we cannot just forget the situation the club was in before he joined and his impact in those first two seasons.
It is yet to be known whether he can properly adapt to the football that Ten Hag will want to implement, but he deserves a chance to try and adapt. If he cannot, United will still receive a large fee for the man they paid for in January 2020.
Topics: Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani, Football, Premier League
Cain Smith