Manchester United’s best Premier League signings of all time

Manchester United have spent over £2.5bn on new players since the Premier League was launched in 1992, and while the vast majority of that money has been spent poorly over the past 13 years, the club have picked up some gems along the way.

Below, FootballWhispers counts down Manchester United's five best signings of the Premier League era.

5) Nemanja Vidic

Buying players in January wasn't ‘easy' according to Sir Alex Ferguson, but he pulled a rabbit out of the hat when he brought Nemanja Vidic to the club in the winter of 2006.

The Serbian defender cost the club £7m, and he was bought as the club were heading towards three consecutive seasons without a Premier League title – the longest drought the club experienced under Ferguson.

Vidic, like Patrice Evra, struggled during his first six months with the club, but from the 2006/07 campaign through to the middle of the 2011/12 campaign, when he ruptured his cruciate ligament, he was considered among the best defenders in world football.

His partnership with Rio Ferdinand saw the club set a Premier League record of 14 consecutive clean sheets during the 2008/09 season, a record that still stands today. He ended his United career as the only defender in history to win the Premier League Player of the Season award more than once.

4) Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo was signed (the first time) by Manchester United in the summer of 2003. At just 17 years of age, he commanded a fee of £12.2m but was trusted by Sir Alex Ferguson to replace David Beckham, who departed for Real Madrid the same summer.

Ronaldo showed what he was capable of in flashes during his first three seasons at Old Trafford, before exploding after the 2006 World Cup.

The Portuguese winger seemingly went from a boy to a man overnight, becoming the best and most exciting player on the planet from 2006 to 2009 before signing for Real Madrid.

While Ronaldo's numbers improved at Real Madrid, there is an argument that the most exciting version of the player was during the 2007/08 season when he led United to a Premier League and Champions League double as a right-winger.

3) Roy Keane

Roy Keane was signed by Manchester United for a then-British record of £3.75m in 1993. The midfielder was brought in from Nottingham Forest and went on to become one of the club's greatest-ever players.

While Keane's end at United was sour, with the Irishman and Ferguson still not on speaking terms more than 20 years later, it shouldn't take away from what he achieved in a red shirt.

He ended his United career with seven Premier Leagues, four FA Cups and one Champions League, with his influence on the pitch, both in terms of ability and attitude, vital for each success.

He became the club's captain in 1997 following the retirement of Eric Cantona, and is regarded by many as the best Premier League captain of all time.

Want to know who Man Utd might sign this summer? Check out our Man Utd transfer targets page.

2) Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney signed for Manchester United in 2004 for a fee of £27m. He was just 18 years old at the time, but was signed to become the club's figurehead for the next decade.

With all that pressure on his shoulders, it would have been very easy for Rooney to disappoint, but he rarely did during his 13-year stay at Old Trafford.

From scoring a hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce to becoming the club's record goalscorer with 253 goals, Rooney did it all at United, winning every trophy on offer to him and finishing his tenure as the club captain.

It would have been very easy to put him number one on this list, but the fee, which was a record for a teenager at the time, just about keeps him in second place.

1) Man Utd's best Premier League signing of all time: Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona, the man credited with flipping the fortunes of Man Utd on their head, is number one on this list. Signed from Leeds for just £1.2m, Cantona's impact at Old Trafford cannot be understated.

He led the club to their first league title in 26 years in 1993, then to a famous double in 1994. United then missed out on the league title in 1995, with Cantona suspended following his infamous kung-fu kick, before winning back-to-back titles again in 96 and 97 with the Frenchman back in the team.

Without taking anything away from Blackburn's success in 1995, there is a strong argument that the Red Devils would have won five titles in a row had Cantona been available.

Following his retirement in 1997, United lost out to Arsenal. It wasn't until the 1998/99 season that the club learned to win without him.