When Jose Mourinho walked through the door at Manchester United, the first thing he did was ask for the credit card, it seems.
Stacks of cash have been sent away from Old Trafford since the Portuguese manager took the reins at Manchester United, and so far there have been mixed results.
You get the feeling, though, that United will come good eventually, having spent all that money on some very good players. But you also wonder if United have spent thoroughly over the odds. Yes, they may be able to make the money back in sponsorship, marketing and shirt sales, they might be able to make it back in something more valuable than cold hard cash, too, if Paul Pogba and co can bring United another league title of the Premier or Champions variety.
But aside from the transfer fees spent, which of the players at the club are actually the most valuable, according to transfer bible, TransferMarkt.com? Who, in the current market, would fetch the most cash, regardless of the money Mourinho has spent? Find out by starting the gallery!
10. Daley Blind (£18.7m)
Number 10 on the list is, perhaps a fairly surprising one. For all the money that Manchester United have spent over the last year or so, it’s the utility man Daley Blind who takes the opening spot on the top 10 list.
Bought by Louis van Gaal for £15m a few seasons ago, he has increased his market value, and United certainly have a great financial asset in Blind as well as a tidy player who can play anywhere across the back line or in front of it.
9. Memphis Depay (£21.25m)
When Manchester United bought Memphis Depay for £28m in 2015, it looked like he had hit the ground sprinting after his fabulous performance against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round.
Since then, it’s all been downhill for Memphis, who has never come close to being worth that £28m United paid for him, according to TransferMarkt. Still, he’s a player who has time on his side, and who knows, with a bit of love and hard work, he might be able to force his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans.
8. Morgan Schneiderlin (£23.8m)
Here’s another player Manchester United bought for big money under Louis van Gaal who hasn’t ever hit those heights in terms of market value.
Schneiderlin is supposed to be an energetic box-to-box midfielder, but so far under Mourinho, his place in the team alongside Paul Pogba is being taken by Marouane Fellaini. That probably tells you whether or not he was worth the money at this point.
7. Ander Herrera (£23.8m)
Ander Herrera is another player who is, according to TransferMarkt, worth less in the footballing market than what United paid for him in 2014.
But that doesn’t really tell the whole story. Herrera was never going to be an explosive midfielder for United, but he’s a disciplined player who is tidy on the ball – perhaps the perfect foil for Paul Pogba in a three-man midfield, allowing him to travel forward and put his ability to good use.
6. Juan Mata (£26.35m)
Yet again, Manchester United spent nearly £40m on Juan Mata back in January 2014, but his market value right now is significantly less than that.
Still, Mata is one of United’s better players, and this season he has been able to force his way into Jose Mourinho’s playing squad on nine occasions – in all competitions – which is much better than we thought he’d do, given his history with the new manager. Perhaps a few stellar performances over the next few months will make that transfer fee look like great business.
5. Anthony Martial (£27.2m)
If you’re looking for a player who personifies Manchester United’s current overspending glut, here is your man. Anthony Martial cost Manchester United a fortune last summer, though his performances do show that he is likely to become a big player for the club over the next few years.
If he personifies United paying over the odds, then he also personifies the big question the club have to ask themselves: does it really matter if you spend more money than the player is worth in the current market if he brings you trophies and glory?
4. Wayne Rooney (£29.74m)
For a snapshot of the problems that Manchester United have had over the past few seasons, a look at Wayne Rooney is your best bet: ageing, ponderous and completely off the pace, Rooney is the man United fans are beginning to get a little bit sick of.
Still, he’s club captain, he’s his country’s top goalscorer and he’ll probably end up as his club’s top goalscorer of all time, too. And, for now, he’s the fourth most valuable player his club possesses.
3. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£31.45m)
Over the odds? Well, perhaps not too much this time. Manchester United did pay good money for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but they certainly didn’t pay double the price. The Armenian winger is still one of the most valuable players the club has, and although it’ll take time for him to settle into his new surroundings, he will have to produce the goods sooner rather than later.
2. David De Gea (£34m)
He was only a functioning fax machine – or a competent administrator – away from moving to Real Madrid for a lot of money last summer, but Manchester United are very glad indeed to have kept their top goalkeeper and probably their best performing player over the last few seasons.
His market value, too, reflects his on-pitch value to his club – De Gea is not just one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he’s also one of the most valuable.
1. Paul Pogba (£59.5m)
The most valuable player in the world is also Manchester United’s most valuable player according to TransferMarkt – and probably everyone else, too. And whilst that is no surprise, perhaps his actual monetary value is. His current value of £59.5m, reflects the fact that Pogba is still young and fairly raw. He’ll have to adapt to life in Manchester once again – this time in the starting XI – and repay the faith that the club has shown in him. It also means 35-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn’t make the list….
