Manchester United have been known to waste a huge amount of money in the transfer market over the last couple of years, with Casemiro arguably one of the worst signings in their history.
The 33-year-old joined the Red Devils in a £70m transfer back in the summer of 2022, arriving from Spanish giants Real Madrid with real hope and expectations of transforming the midfield.
However, his stint at Old Trafford to date has been nothing short of a disaster, with his disciplinary record undoubtedly playing a massive factor in his lack of positive success.
The Brazilian has been sent off four times in the last three years, with his latest dismissal coming against Chelsea in the Premier League just a couple of weeks ago.
However, he’s not the only first-team player to fail to deliver during his time in England, joining another player in being a complete failure and a waste of money.
Antony’s failures during his time at Man Utd
In the same window as Casemiro, United decided to fork out a fee in the region of £86m for the signature of attacker Antony from Ajax – subsequently following Erik ten Hag to the club.
Such a fee for the second-highest paid for any player in the club’s history, with such a move undoubtedly generating huge excitement within the fanbase.
However, despite scoring on his debut against Arsenal, the 25-year-old failed to deliver at Old Trafford – finding the back of the net on just 12 occasions in his 96 outings.
The 25-year-old only made nine appearances under Amorim, only two of which came from a starting position, before joining Real Betis on a season-long loan in the second half of 2024/25.
Such a move would allow the Brazilian to recapture his best form, notching 14 combined goals and assists in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
The board agreed to offload him for just £21.5m including add-ons, seeing the hierarchy lose over £60m on their investment and further highlighting how much of a waste of money he was.
However, despite his failures in England, one other player has also failed to deliver, further highlighting the hierarchy’s dismal business within the market over recent years.
The United star who’s the biggest waste since Antony
Since the summer of 2022, United have spent upwards of £800m on new additions, but it’s safe to say that their efforts so far have been to no avail.
The Red Devils have fallen way below the expectations of the fanbase over the last couple of seasons, even finishing the most recent campaign in a measly 15th position.
Such a standing has cranked up the pressure on Ruben Amorim over the last couple of weeks, with the 40-year-old coming under fire from the fanbase as a result of his selections.
Kobbie Mainoo has often been left out of his starting eleven, which has come as a surprise to many, given his tremendous form in the 2023/24 campaign before his arrival.
However, he’s also spoken about his admiration for first-team member Mason Mount, but the Englishman has also failed to live up to the standards many expected before his transfer to Old Trafford.
The 26-year-old joined in a £60m deal back in the summer of 2023, but he’s been restricted to just 53 appearances in his two-year spell in Manchester – with injuries massively halting his progress.
He’s suffered five separate injuries during such a period, missing a total of 52 matches in all competitions – subsequently being ruled out of 50% of games since joining the Red Devils.
However, when he’s been called upon, he’s often failed to deliver the goods within attacking areas, scoring just four times and registering only two assists for his teammates.
His lack of impact and constant injury issues, could see the manager lose faith in him, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to many to see the Englishman drop down Amorim’s pecking order in the weeks ahead.
Mount, who’s been labelled “awful” by one analyst, also earns a reported £150k-per-week at Old Trafford, subsequently pocketing over £20m on wages since his transfer a few years ago.
When coupling his wages with his mammoth transfer fee, the club have spent over £80m on his services – a staggering amount which works out at over £13m per contribution he’s made.
2023/24
Unknown
37
6
2023/24
Calf
110
21
2024/25
Hamstring
23
3
2024/25
Head
2
0
2024/25
Hamstring
75
16
2025/26
Knock
20
2
Total:
4 injuries
267
48
It’s safe to say his transfer to the club has been a disaster, with such a move yet another to forget for the hierarchy – further showcasing the mistakes they’ve made in the market.
They desperately need to cut their losses in the near future, whilst also remembering such a deal in their next attempts to improve the side in the near future.
United will certainly lose a hefty chunk of their investment, just like they did with Antony this summer, with Amorim needing to clear out the players simply not up to scratch
