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7 Most Lucrative Manchester Utd Sales: Where Are They Now?

One of the biggest clubs in world football and the most successful club in the English game, Manchester United are a footballing dynasty, but a dynasty somewhat on its knees right now.

During the club’s remarkable prolonged period of success under Sir Alex Ferguson, United had a reputation for producing top class homegrown talent, but their spending was still very competitive.

Since the Scot retired, the club have been even more active in the transfer market, and I have to say, I was quite surprised by just how little a club as enormous as Manchester United have brought in via player sales, especially over the last few years.

As always, let us know in the comments which club’s most expensive player sales you’d like to see us look at next, and we’ll try to take on the most popular suggestions.

Here are Manchester United’s 7 most expensive sales: Where are they now?

7. Danny Welbeck - Arsenal

Keeping the likes of Javier Hernandez and Juan Sebastian Veron out of this seven, Danny Welbeck left Manchester United for Arsenal in a reported £16 million deal in 2014. That’s the same amount that some reports claimed they received for Jaap Stam way back in 2001, but given that £15.3 million was the amount stated in United’s financial reports, we’ve gone for Welbeck in seventh.

The Manchester-born forward made just shy of 150 appearances for his boyhood club, but was sold by Louis van Gaal in the Dutchman’s first summer in charge at Old Trafford. Welbeck’s time with the Gunners has been thwarted by injuries, most notably a recent long-term ankle injury he sustained, which has an added layer of significance since the 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season.

6. Daley Blind - Ajax

(L-R) Daley Blind of Ajax, Simon Gustafson of FC Utrecht during the Dutch Eredivisie match between FC Utrecht v Ajax at the Stadium Galgenwaard on December 23, 2018 in Utrecht Netherlands

Versatile Netherlands international Daley Blind left Manchester United to rejoin his former club Ajax over the summer, in a move worth an initial £14.1 million but a potential £18.5 million. Given his and Ajax’s form in the first half of this season, one can probably expect United to receive the higher figure or near enough to it. Having been a regular at Old Trafford under Louis van Gaal, Blind played very little football in his final season at the club under Jose Mourinho, and a departure seemed wise for both parties. Since returning to Amsterdam, Blind has played 29 games, even scoring a hat-trick whilst playing as a centre-back earlier this month.

5. Memphis Depay - Lyon

Another Dutchman who was signed by Louis van Gaal and sold by Jose Mourinho, there was a real sense of excitement when Memphis Depay transferred to Manchester United. Regarded as one of Europe’s outstanding young footballers, Depay had just scored 28 goals from the left flank for PSV. He stated that he wanted to become the best player in the world upon signing for United in a £25 million move, and he was compared to both Arjen Robben and Cristiano Ronaldo .

Sadly, things didn’t quite work out, as Depay managed only 2 goals in 29 Premier League appearances in his only full season with the club. Jose Mourinho oversaw a swift sale of the wide man to Lyon, in a deal worth £16 million up front and a potential £22 million. Two years on, Depay has become one of the most dangerous player in Ligue 1, although still markedly inconsistent. He has scored 33 goals in 91 games for Lyon.

4. Morgan Schneiderlin - Everton

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a bit of a theme emerging here. That is, Louis van Gaal signs an in-form player for a sizeable fee, Jose Mourinho comes in, decides he doesn’t like them, and flogs them for a bit less than they were signed for.

Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur is challenged by Morgan Schneiderlin of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on December 23,...

That’s basically how it turned out for Morgan Schneiderlin, who joined United off the back of seven years, three promotions and one relegation whilst playing for Southampton. The French international was a regular in his only season with the Red Devils , but Mourinho was happy to sell him to Everton for an initial £20 million and potential £24 million. Following an impressive first half season at Goodison Park, Schneiderlin looked really off the pace last season, and he has played only 250 minutes of football so far this term.

3. David Beckham - Inter Miami President

It’s a mark of the relatively insignificant amount of money Manchester United have made via player sales that a footballer they sold over 15 years ago takes third place in this seven. David Beckham’s 2003 move from Manchester United to Real Madrid was probably the most widely covered transfer in the sports history at the time, and the deal itself was worth £25 million. Beckham won two trophies in four seasons at the Bernabeu, before moving onto LA Galaxy. Now aged 43, Becks retired in 2013, and currently serves as the president of the slow-moving Inter Miami CF franchise, along with his many other business interests.

2. Angel Di Maria - PSG

Angel Di Maria of PSG during the french Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Nantes at Parc des Princes stadium on December 22, 2018 in Paris, France.

Manchester United’s third most expensive signing and second most expensive sale, Angel Di Maria was signed by the club for £59.7 million under Louis van Gaal, and sold by the Dutchman for £44 million a year later. United signed the Argentine in 2014, fresh off the back of a Champions League win with Real Madrid and a World Cup final with Argentina, Di Maria having been instrumental in both of those successes. He was unable to have the same impact in the Premier League, where his form was a little more patchy, but he has since become a dangerous goal scoring and creating force on either flank for PSG.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Juventus

You’ve either been living in a cocoon, have stumbled upon this video by accident and have no interest in football or just had a pretty sizeable lapse in concentration if you didn’t know who was going to top this seven. We’re fast approaching ten years since Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United for Real Madrid, and although the £80 million fee set a world record at the time, it turned out to be an outstanding bargain by Los Blancos and their manager Manuel Pellegrini.

In his nine seasons in Madrid, Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 games and won 15 trophies, including four Champions League’s. Having already become a Ballon d’Or winner during his time at Old Trafford, the Portuguese phenomenon has gone on to establish himself as an all time great. Not only did Real get an extraordinary output from Ronaldo, they also sold him over the summer - aged 33 - for more than they paid for him. He has scored 12 goals in 21 games since signing for Italian giants Juventus.

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