While Manchester United prefers to complete their transfers as soon as possible, they haven’t been afraid to make a last-minute signing in the past.
It’s unclear if Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils will make any late-season transfers this year, but in the past, notable big-name players have joined the team in the closing moments of the transfer window.
Here are 7 players that United have acquired on the final day of the summer transfer window to see how they performed at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Last summer, the Portuguese legend returned to Old Trafford and became the highest-paid player in Premier League history.
His first season back, however, saw United drop from second to sixth place and record their lowest points total in Premier League history. It’s debatable how much of that is his fault, but his devoted following would point to his respectable tally of 24 goals in 38 appearances.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney made his name at Everton as a teenager before completing a £27 million transfer to United on the final day of the 2004 transfer window.
The striker went on to score 253 goals during an incredible and illustrious 13-year career at Old Trafford, becoming United’s all-time leading scorer.
Edinson Cavani
Following in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s footsteps, veteran Uruguayan Cavani outscored the Swede to become PSG’s all-time leading scorer before replicating his departure from the French capital at the end of his contract.
El Matador contributed 17 goals across all competitions in 2020–21 despite not always being healthy and on point. He was relegated to the sidelines in year two after Ronaldo joined the team.
Radamel Falcao
Falcao, one of the best strikers in the world, was signed on a season-long loan from Monaco in 2014.
With his performances at Old Trafford, the Colombian international fell short of those expectations, scoring just four goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.
Unsurprisingly, United chose not to make the change permanent in 2015.
Marouane Fellaini
After falling short of a number of crucial targets throughout the 2013 summer transfer window, United panicked and acquired Fellaini from Everton on the final day for £27 million.
At Old Trafford, the midfielder was never a crowd favourite and, perhaps unfairly, came to represent United’s decline after Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Nevertheless, he played for the club in more than 150 times, appearing in many of them and scoring some significant goals.
Anthony Martial
When United decided to acquire Martial from Monaco for an initial sum of £36 million on deadline day in 2015, he was still a young man who was largely unknown.
But the striker made a sensational solo goal against Liverpool on his debut, coming off the bench to make his presence known to the world.
He struggled under Jose Mourinho, but under Solskjaer he became more of a regular and had some good runs of form. He has only managed one league goal in the past 18 months, and his season-long loan to Sevilla did not help to resurrect his career.
It is still unclear how his career will develop during the Ten Hag era, but there are some encouraging signs of a comeback.
Dimitar Berbatov
Ferguson famously interfered with Manchester City’s attempt to sign Berbatov from Tottenham in 2008 by meeting the Bulgarian at the airport on the day before the deadline.
The striker scored 56 goals in 149 appearances for United, winning two Premier League championships, a League Cup, and the Club World Cup despite criticism for his passive playing style.
