Manchester United have spent big money on some major signings over the years, but some players simply haven’t lived up to the hype.
The final stretch of the 2024-25 season is approaching and Manchester United are in real danger of missing out on Europe altogether.
Ineos want Europa League football but United are stuck in the bottom half of the Premier League table and would be relying on FA Cup or Europa League success.
That’s a big ask and Ruben Amorim needs reinforcements this summer in order to take United forward.
Unfortunately, United’s financial position remains a concern and Ineos may not be able to fund the signings required this summer.
Years of overspending and poor recruitment will take a while to undo with United ultimately failing to find value for money with so many signings since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Mats Hummels hails former Manchester United player
United have tried to back managers since Ferguson’s exit and Jose Mourinho was given funds for four major signings in the summer of 2016.
Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba all arrived as Mourinho chased instant success at Old Trafford.
Ibrahimovic was a superstar but Bailly’s injury record dominated his time at United and Pogba, for all his talent and brilliance, never truly hit his elite potential on a consistent basis.
Then there is Mkhitaryan, who came in from Borussia Dortmund after 41 goals and 49 assists in 140 games for the Bundesliga side.
The Armenian had his moments at United but never really seemed to be Mourinho’s flavour and was swapped for Alexis Sanchez in an ill-fated exchange in January 2018.
Mkhitaryan’s 18 months at United were ultimately a disappointment considering the lofty expectations around him – and how his Dortmund teammates thought of him.
Former Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has now taken to social media to suggest that people don’t even realise how good Mkhitaryan was for Dortmund before joining United.
Mkhitaryan hit 23 goals and 32 assists in his final season, leaving Hummels to say that he was simply ‘crazy good’ before his disappointing United spell.
We sadly didn’t see that play out at United, but the logic behind the deal was there with Mkhitaryan dazzling his teammates in Germany.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan chasing league title at 36
Mkhitaryan didn’t quite live up to expectations at United but has continued to forge a strong career since leaving Old Trafford.
The 36-year-old didn’t make much of an impact at Arsenal and after a loan spell at Roma, he completed a permanent move to the Eternal City in 2020.
After two years in Rome, Mkhitaryan moved on to Serie A rivals Inter – and won the Serie A title last season.
Now top of Serie A once again, Mkhitaryan is looking for back-to-back titles as he heads towards the end of his career.
The move to England may not have worked for Mkhitaryan but he has continued to impress in Italy long after his Old Trafford exit.
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