Rio Ferdinand encouraged Manchester United to sign the next potential “best player in the world,” but things have taken a disastrous turn.
Manchester United’s Costly Transfer Mistakes: The Sancho Saga
Manchester United’s most expensive signings also double as a list of some of the club’s biggest transfer blunders. Years of mismanagement at Old Trafford have led to hundreds of millions being spent on players who failed to justify their price tags or simply flopped.
Under the Glazer family’s ownership, the club’s leadership often made questionable decisions, overlooking top talents like Erling Haaland while investing heavily in players who ultimately failed to deliver. Among these high-profile disappointments are Antony, Romelu Lukaku, and, further down the list, Casemiro.
Manchester United’s Top Five Record Signings
1. Paul Pogba – £89.3 million
2. Antony – £82 million
3. Harry Maguire – £80 million
4. Romelu Lukaku – £75 million
5. Jadon Sancho – £73 million
Some of these deals seemed promising on paper, yet reality proved otherwise. One of the most significant examples is Jadon Sancho, a player Rio Ferdinand strongly advocated for.
Rio Ferdinand Pushed for Sancho’s Transfer
Manchester United’s pursuit of Jadon Sancho lasted four years, with fans enduring multiple frustrating summers of transfer speculation before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally secured the signing in 2021. At the time, Sancho appeared to be the ideal addition to help United return to winning ways. However, just months after his arrival, Solskjaer was sacked, disrupting the stability Sancho may have needed to thrive.
Struggling to replicate his Borussia Dortmund form, Sancho failed to impress under Erik ten Hag, with tensions between the player and manager eventually leading to a public fallout. His decline was unexpected, especially considering Ferdinand’s strong endorsement back in 2020, as quoted by Goal:
> “If you have a chance to sign a player who has the potential to be the best player in the world for the next 10 years and has been the best teenager for the last two years, go and get him, it’s as simple as that.”
At the time, Ferdinand’s prediction seemed reasonable. Sancho had been delivering world-class performances at Dortmund, racking up impressive goal contributions season after season.
Sancho’s Decline at Manchester United
Sancho’s time at United never came close to the Ballon d’Or-caliber career many expected. His statistics at Dortmund suggested he was destined for greatness:
Sancho’s early years in Germany showcased a player ready to dominate world football, even finishing second in the 2019 Kopa Trophy rankings, an award often seen as the “young Ballon d’Or.” However, his transition to the Premier League did not go as planned, and his once-bright future at United faded quickly.
Ultimately, his time at Old Trafford ended in disappointment. Now at Chelsea, Sancho is set to leave permanently in June for £25 million—less than half of what United originally paid. Unless Chelsea fails to finish above 14th in the Premier League, the deal will be finalized, marking yet another costly loss for Manchester United.
Sancho was once viewed as a potential savior for United, but instead, his transfer serves as a cautionary tale of the club’s flawed recruitment strategy.
