admin Manchester United have spent huge sums to land their targets during the transfer window; stars like Paul Pogba and Andy Cole have arrived at Old Trafford to varying levels of success.
Liverpool fans may not want to hear it, but Manchester United is Britain’s biggest football organization, so it’s no wonder no club has broken the British transfer record like the Red Devils.
The Premier League record-breaking 13-time winner has broken the aforementioned record six times, but Manchester City’s state-sponsored wealth and Todd Boley wanting to make a name for themselves in the first year of the ‘Football’ project With the desire of United means no.
When it comes to the British transfer record, we’re including incomings and outgoings which date all the way back to the start of the 1960s.
1. Denis Law (Signed from Torino in 1962 – £115,000)
It was the third time Denis Law broke the British transfer record, having joined Manchester City in 1960 and Turin a year later.
TheScot’s streak in Italy was a mixed bag and he requested a transfer after just a year in Serie A, where the ball dominated and Law struggled to settle in. Despite the extremely defensive nature of the division, Law was voted Player of the League ahead of Inter Milan legend Luis Suárez.
A protracted battle with Turin finally saw him join United in mid-summer 1962 for the British record £115,000. The Scot enjoyed a period of glory at Old Trafford as United won two league titles with Law at the bar.
Theforward was also crowned winner of the 1964 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first of three United players to win that award in that decade. Law would end his career with 237 goals as the club’s third-highest goalscorer of all time.
2. Bryan Robson (Signed from West Brom in 1981 – £1.5m)
As the tweet above shows, the traditionalists were delighted to welcome Robson to the club after the midfielder joined from West Brom in 1981 for an exemplary £1.5million transfer fee.
On this day in 1981, Bryan Robson was unveiled in front of Old Trafford. That's how it's done. #mufc pic.twitter.com/G16K6SvfNN
— Man United NM (@ManUtd_NM) October 3, 2017
Described as ‘pure gold’ by then manager Ron Atkinson,Robson was considered a safe bet despite the large sum of money the club had spent on his signing. There was no way he could.Indeed, ‘Robbo’ excelled at Manchester and became one of the most celebrated midfielders of the 1980s.
His importance diminished with the introduction of the Premier League, but he nonetheless helped the club win two league titles in the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons.For many, Robson is the club’s greatest captain.
3. Andy Cole (Signed from Newcastle in 1995 – £7m)
The commercial success of the new Premier League has sent money to top clubs, with the country’s biggest institution Man Utd being a separate beneficiary.
The club’s financial clout enabled them to blow up their rivals – even the wealthy Blackburn – and they broke the UK transfer record in 1995 by withdrawing Cole from Newcastle, whose threat to United’s crown only failed after the attacker’s departure
While the Magpies continued to grow in strength following Cole’s departure, the forward was nonetheless a key addition to Fergie’s squad as they attempted to reclaim the Blackburn crown.
The Englishman’s hefty price tag put a lot of pressure on but Cole got on with the job and scored 121 goals for the club. He was instrumental in United’s treble in 1999, scoring the winning goal against Tottenham on the final day of the league season.
4. Juan Sebastian Veron (Signed from Lazio in 2001 – £28.1m)
In the 21st century transfer fees began to reach exorbitant proportions and foreign influence in the Premier League was widespread.
“I never thought the day would come when I would spend so much money on a player,” admitted Fergie after Juan Sebastian Verona joined from Lazio for £28.1million, but later also said that anyone who doubted the Argentine’s talent, an F. would be * *** idiot.
The midfielder’s Manchester career got off to a good start but he found it difficult to adjust to the intensity of Premier League play and his debut season saw his form plummet. His best performances came in his second season in the Champions League as fatigue continued to be felt on the home front.
Injuries and fitness problems limited his impact and after just two years he was sold to Chelsea for £15million. Overall, Veron is considered one of the worst signings in Premier League history.
5. Rio Ferdinand (Signed from Leeds in 2002 – £29.1m)
Despite Verona’s unconvincing first season, United felt comfortable breaking the British record the following summer when they fielded Rio Ferdinand as the cornerstone of their defense at Leeds.
While there were doubts about Verona’s viability from the start, very few doubted Rio’s success at Old Trafford. He shone at the 2002 World Cup in the Far East and Ferguson believed the England international was “going to become the best centre-back in the world”.
It certainly wasn’t far.Rio was arguably the first “modern defender” as he combined impressive ball skills with incredible steal speed and sharpened defensive instincts.Dominating throughout his time at United, he forged great partnerships with the centre-back and finished his career with six league titles and one Champions League title.
6. Paul Pogba (Signed from Juventus in 2016 – £89m)
A timeline that dates back to 1962 concludes in 2016 with Paul Pogba. United’s £89m purchase of the France international was, for a while, a world-record transfer.
Pogba had plied his trade in the club’s academy before setting off for Juventus, where he made a name for himself. He blossomed into one of Europe’s most unique, watchable and effective midfielders in Turin, and his return was met with much fanfare, especially among younger generations.
This was a case of unfinished business for Pogba, but his second stint at the club was a complex one. He offered many glimpses of his genius and there were times when he was utterly unplayable, but he never enamoured himself to the fanbase and Jose Mourinho didn’t particularly take a liking to him during his stint as manager.
Pogba dazzled as much as he frustrated and eventually sealed a return to Juventus in 2022.
