The last seven Man United managers’ first signings – and how they fared | OneFootball

Ederson is set to become the first signing of the Michael Carrick era at Manchester United after they agreed to pay £35million for the Atalanta midfielder.

But Carrick’s predecessors at Old Trafford have often struggled when making their first purchase in the transfer market.

We’ve looked back at the last seven permanent United managers and their first signings to see how those players fared. Note: we’ve not included any players that initially played for the reserves or the academy.

Viv Anderson

After taking over at United in 1986, Alex Ferguson’s first move to refashion his squad was the £250,000 signing of Anderson from Arsenal.

“I had a chance to stay at the Arsenal,” Anderson told the United podcast. “I had a contract. But he [Ferguson] convinced me when I went up to see him that he was driven and he wanted to make United great again so I wanted to be part of that. So the driving force behind it was always him.”

The defender, who was briefly on United’s books as a teenager, made 69 appearances for the club and used his experience to help guide the younger players.

But he began to lose his place in the side during 1989-90 and was left out of the matchday squad for the FA Cup final win as midfielder Paul Ince filled in at right-back.

Ferguson’s signing of Denis Irwin marked the end of his time at United, and he joined Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer in January 1991.

Marouane Fellaini

Despite the fact that United won the Premier League title in Ferguson’s final season, David Moyes knew that he needed to make some first-team signings in the summer of 2013.

But moves for Cesc Fabregas, Gareth Bale, Thiago Alcantara and Leighton Baines all failed to materialise during a difficult transfer window.

It looked like they weren’t going to sign anybody at all until Moyes hit the panic button on deadline day and bought Fellaini, who he knew from his time at Everton.

“You can ask my staff – the last thing I wanted was for Marouane Fellaini to be my first signing,” Moyes said. “I knew, coming from my old club, the look was never going to be good.

“I’ve got to say we looked at Matic as well. He hadn’t done well for Chelsea and had gone back to Benfica. He was a consideration.

“We probably did need a more defensive type player in hindsight. Someone who would sit and play, make passes from the middle of the park. But we didn’t get a lot of the things we hoped for.”

The midfielder endured a disastrous debut season as United finished seventh in the Premier League, and he became a much-maligned figure at Old Trafford due to his awkward and combative style.

He was expected to leave following Moyes’s departure but turned things around and proved to be an important player for both Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, making over 150 appearances for the club.

While a lot of United fans still see him as a symbol of the disappointing post-Ferguson era, the Belgium international did actually have his uses at Old Trafford and came up with some important goals.

But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still deemed him to surplus to requirements, selling Fellaini to Chinese club Shandong Luneng in January 2019.

“My first season in Manchester was difficult, but I left as a respected player,” Fellaini said. “I gave my very best for this club, played so many games and almost only scored important goals.

“I worked with super players and managers at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Then you can only look back with a smile.”

Ander Herrera

Moyes tried to sign Herrera on transfer deadline day in 2013 but United refused to pay the £30.4million release clause in his Athletic Bilbao contract.

The Scot still laid the groundwork for a potential transfer and Louis van Gaal, who was named as Moyes’ permanent successor, gave the go-ahead to complete the deal in the summer of 2014.

But Van Gaal never seemed to have complete faith in the Spain international, failing to give him a consistent run in the starting XI.

Herrera still established himself as a fan favourite at Old Trafford due to his work rate, commitment to the cause and excellent shithousery.

The midfielder later became Jose Mourinho’s lieutenant on the field and won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award after helping United win the League Cup and Europa League in 2016-17.

He also produced many outstanding performances in big games, including a 2-0 win over Chelsea in 2017 when he man-marked Eden Hazard out of the game.

Herrera called time on a five-year stay at Old Trafford when his contract expired in 2019 and joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

Eric Bailly

Bailly was in talks to join Manchester City in the summer of 2016 before a phone call from the newly-appointed United manager convinced the centre-back to move to Old Trafford.

“I felt like I was hallucinating,” Bailly said. “I thought it was a guy just trying to annoy me, to make a joke. Who believes Mourinho is calling them?

“I said he needed to prove it was him by calling on video. This is what he did. My mother was by my side. It was Mourinho and he said he wanted me to go to Manchester. I did.”

The £30million signing got off to a great start, picking up the Man of the Match award in United’s 2-1 win against Leicester City in the Community Shield.

He also won the League Cup and the Europa League in his debut season, while his no-nonsense style prompted comparisons with United legend Nemanja Vidic.

But a series of injury problems derailed his progress, and he made just 45 Premier League appearances over the following five seasons.

The Ivory Coast international spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Marseille before joining Besiktas on a free transfer.

Daniel James

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made two £50million-plus signings in the summer of 2019 but his first deal was the £15million purchase of Daniel James, who had been impressing for Swansea City in the Championship.

He enjoyed a sensational start to life in the Premier League and scored three goals in his opening four games, including a strike against Chelsea on his debut.

But the winger failed to maintain that form, scoring just three more goals in his next 46 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.

While his pace and work ethic endeared him to Solskjaer, he often frustrated United fans with his poor decision-making in the final third and a tendency to run down blind alleys.

The Wales international fell out of favour during his second season and was sold to Leeds for £25million in 2021 following Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford.

Tyrell Malacia

Having left Ajax to take over at United in the summer of 2022, Erik ten Hag immediately went shopping at his former club’s arch-rivals.

United fought off competition from Lyon to sign Malacia from Feyenoord in a deal worth an initial £13million deal and £1.7million in potential add-ons.

The left-back made 39 appearances in all competitions in his debut season at Old Trafford, helping Ten Hag’s side win the League Cup and finish third in the Premier League.

But he then sustained a knee meniscus injury, prompting surgery that led to major complications and a 17-month spell on the sidelines.

By the time the Netherlands international returned to full fitness, Ten Hag had been replaced in the dugout by Ruben Amorim.

He spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at PSV Eindhoven and made just three appearances for United in 2025-26 before being released on a free transfer.

Patrick Dorgu

Amorim’s arrival in November 2024 led to a change in formation at United, with the manager implementing a 3-4-2-1 system.

Malacia’s injury problems saw United target a new left-wing-back in the January transfer window and they bought Dorgu from Lecce in a deal worth an initial £25.2million and £4.2million in potential add-ons.

The 21-year-old initially struggled in his first few months at Old Trafford, and was called out publicly by Amorim after a 1-0 defeat to Everton in November 2025.

“He needs to be calmer playing the game,” Amorim said. “You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball. I can feel the anxiety

The Denmark international enjoyed his best run of form in a United shirt after Amorim was sacked, scoring against Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back matches before suffering a hamstring injury.