Ferguson's 14 January transfers including signing he'd do "anything to keep"
Sir Alex Ferguson was often lauded as a genius in the transfer market during his time at Manchester United.
The legendary former manager signed some of the best players in the club's history during his 26-and-a-half years in charge - but it did not always go that way. Ferguson had a few missteps at Old Trafford - some more expensive than others.
With the January transfer window having been open for a week, the Red Devils are yet to secure a significant incoming. They might need to take a look at Ferguson's business for either a bit of inspiration or a word of warning.
Hits
Let’s start with the positives. The first-ever January transfer window during the 2003/04 season saw a talented striker in the form of Louis Saha arrive.
The Frenchman was signed for £12million from Fulham and despite injuries hugely hampering his time as a Red Devil, he still managed to score 42 goals in 124 appearances. That form helped the club to two Premier Leagues and a Champions League title.
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It took a couple of years for United to be busy in the January window once again but once 2006 rolled around, two club icons were on their way to Old Trafford. Serbian powerhouse Nemanja Vidic was signed from Spartak Moscow for around £7m.
Patrice Evra made a huge impact at Manchester United (Getty Images)Who do you think is Man Utd's best January signing? Share your thoughts in the comments below
He immediately became a key player for the Red Devils and scooped an almost countless list of trophies during a hugely successful eight-and-a-half-year spell. Just a few days after Vidic’s arrival, another legend was signed in the form of Patrice Evra.
The French left-back was bagged in a £5.5m deal from Monaco. He was another to immediately establish himself in the first-team and eventually left the club with a glittering record.
Moving one year on and Ferguson needed more attacking options after a series of injuries. It was a shock to see him make a three-month loan move for Celtic icon Henrik Larsson - who was 35 at the time and playing for Helsingborgs.
Larsson scored three goals in 13 outings for the Red Devils before returning to his parent club. Ferguson was desperate to extend the Swede’s stay.
Speaking after the striker’s exit, he said: "We would love him to stay but, obviously, he has made his promise to his family and Helsingborg and I think we should respect that – but I would have done anything to keep him."
A year later, and two Brazilian fullbacks were recruited. Fabio and Rafael da Silva were both signed from Fluminense. A double deal was confirmed in January 2008 and they eventually went on to make 226 appearances for the Red Devils between them.
Fabio and Rafael both arrived at Old Trafford in January 2008 (Getty Images)Ferguson's final successful January purchase is a slight cheat. After initially announcing his retirement in May 2011, Paul Scholes’ stint away from the pitch lasted just a matter of months.
He made a dramatic u-turn on his decision before eventually penning a short-term deal with the Red Devils in January 2012. Scholes went on to make a further 42 appearances for United, securing yet another Premier League title.
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Louis Saha (Fulham, January 2004)
Nemanja Vidic (Spartak Moscow, January 2006)
Patrice Evra (Monaco, January 2006)
Henrik Larsson (Helsingborgs loan, January 2007)
Rafael and Fabio (Fluminense, January 2008)
Paul Scholes (free, January 2012)
Misses
Now that we’ve got the positives out of the way, let’s take a look at the more infamous signings. While Saha was signed in January 2004, another striker also followed him to Old Trafford.
Ex-China international Fangzhuo Dong arrived from Dalian Shide for £500k, potentially rising to £3.5m. He made just three goalless appearances, with his former club refunding the Red Devils for his move.
Four years later and United were aiming to sign even more promising youngsters. Rodrigo Possebon and Manucho arrived from Internacional and Petro Atletico respectively in 2008. They made just 11 appearances between them before leaving.
Another promising youngster, Serbian winger Zoran Tosic, was signed the following window and he too was given little opportunity at Old Trafford. He made just five appearances for the Red Devils before being allowed to join Koln on loan, later leaving for CSKA Moscow.
While Ferguson signed plenty of Premier League champions in his time, Belgian defender Ritchie de Laet might not have been among those he expected to claim a medal. He arrived in a bargain deal from Stoke and a series of loan spells led to a permanent exit to Leicester. De Laet went on to win the Premier League title with the Foxes in 2016.
Signed as a talented goalkeeper from Aalesund in 2011, Anders Lindegaard was one of the more successful starlets on this list. He made 29 appearances for United in his role as a back-up keeper before being allowed to join West Brom.
Anders Lindegaard was back-up to David de Gea at United (Getty Images)A slightly controversial move, Albanian defender Frederic Veseli quit Manchester City for United on the final day of the 2012 January transfer window. He never made an appearance for the Red Devils before being released.
Wilfried Zaha was both Ferguson's final January transfer - and last in general. The winger was one of the most exciting talents in English football after his starring performances for Crystal Palace. After a £10m move, he returned to Crystal Palace on loan. Zaha never quite got a chance under Sir Alex's replacement David Moyes.
He made just four appearances for the Red Devils before a loan spell with Cardiff. Zaha was allowed to rejoin Crystal Palace having never quite reached his potential as a Man United player.
Fangzhuo Dong (Dalian Shide, January 2004)
Rodrigo Possebon (Internacional, January 2008)
Manucho (Petro Atletico, January 2008)
Zoran Tosic (Partizan, January 2009)
Ritchie de Laet (Stoke, January 2009)
Anders Lindegaard (Aalesund, January 2011)
Frédéric Veseli (Manchester City, January 2012)
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace, January 2013)
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