January.
The month that makes or breaks the season.
A transfer window six months in which gives teams the opportunity to bring in their final pieces of the puzzle to push on for silverware.
Many fantastic deals have been signed in January, from Virgil van Dijk’s move to Liverpool, to Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal.
For Manchester United, this is no different.
Here is United’s top five January transfer window signings of all time.
5th – Louis Saha
Signed from Fulham on January 23 2004, Saha inherited the number nine shirt and scored several goals with it.
In his 124 appearances for the club, Saha scored 42 goals and assisted 17.
His transfer to the red devils cost £12.825m.
He won the Premier League twice in 2006/07 and 2007/08 as well as the League Cup in 2006 and the Community Shield in 2007.
4th – Juan Mata
The little Spaniard left the comfort of West London and Chelsea to make the step up to Old Trafford in January 2014 for £37.1m.
Whilst Mata didn’t succeed as well as some had hoped, the creative attacking midfielder was still a consistent performer for United.
He made 285 appearances for the club, scoring 51 goals and assisting 41.
Mata thrived at Chelsea playing centrally as a creative attacking midfielder but at United, he was forced out onto the right wing and failed to have the same impact.
However, despite this, the Spaniard still created some magical moments whilst at United and will forever be remembered for turning Anfield into ‘Juanfield.’
3rd – Bruno Fernandes
United’s best signing post Sir Alex Ferguson.
To set the scene.
It was January 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the helm of United but struggling massively.
He was on the brink of the sack after a run of terrible form.
Fernandes signed on the 31st January for an initial £46.6m with potential addons reaching £68m.
Just over a week before this, United had lost 2-0 to Burnley putting them six points off fourth and 14 points off Leicester in third.
They also sat just four points ahead of Newcastle who were 14th…
A few months later and United had secured third place and Champions League football all thanks to the Portuguese maestro Fernandes.
Fernandes came in and brought genuine creativity that United as a team had by crying out for for years.
Since then, Fernandes has become captain and in his 213 appearances, scored 70 goals and assisted 59.
In the 20/21 season, he broke Frank Lampard’s goal scoring record as a midfielder in one season by scoring 28.
2nd – Patrice Evra
The French fullback joined United in January 2006 and left as a United legend eight years later in July 2014.
Evra slotted in perfectly at left back and became a reliable and world class fullback for Ferguson in United’s success in the late noughties.
His partnership with other defenders like Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic created an impenetrable defence which was so critical to United’s 2008 Champions League triumph and 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 Premier League titles.
Evra made 379 appearances for the red devils scoring 10 goals and assisting 38.
The Frenchman is now regarded as one of the best left back’s in United’s history, alongside Dennis Irwin.
Evra, like Irwin is also regarded as one of the best Premier League fullbacks of all time.
1st – Nemanja Vidic
The titan at the back.
The man you didn’t want to attack against.
Vidic was a 6’3 monster who would rather put his body on the line then concede.
🗣 Robin van Persie: “Nemanja puts his head where other players are scared to put their feet. That’s Nemanja Vidic.
I’ve seen him, time after time, diving with his head forward to block a ball. When I’m witnessing that, I’m scared for him. It’s unbelievable.” #MUFC pic.twitter.com/GyorXdbhtW— UnitedReds (@UnitedRedscom) March 31, 2020
Not sure Kyle Walker was too keen on his methods though…
Like Evra, Vidic joined in January 2006 and also left in July 2014.
The Serb made 300 appearances for the club scoring 21 goals and assisting four.
Whilst at the club, Vidic won the Premier League five times, the Champions League once and the League Cup three times.
He was named PFA player of the year in 2008/09 and 2010/11 becoming the only defender to win it twice.
In his 211 Premier League appearances, Vidic kept 95 clean sheets.
Vidic left football as one of the greatest defenders of all time and a firm candidate to be the greatest Premier League defender ever.