Manchester United have been blessed with stunning attacking talents over the years, helping the club claim their record 13 Premier League titles since its formation back in 1992.
Sir Alex Ferguson was the man who revolutionised the Red Devils during his time in charge at Old Trafford, making the side the historical name they are – cementing their place as one of the most iconic clubs in world football.
However, in the 11 years since his retirement, they are yet to add to their tally of league triumphs, with Ruben Amorim tasked with ending their long wait for English top-division glory.
The 39-year-old has the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund currently at his disposal to try and transform the outfit following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal a couple of weeks ago.
Undoubtedly, the aforementioned quartet possess serious quality, but they’re yet to demonstrate such elite-level performances in 2024/25 – only registering a total of seven league goals between them so far.
Such transfers were made possible by the club’s work on offloading numerous first-team talents over the years, none more so than the summer of 2022.
Manchester United’s departures in the summer of 2022
The arrival of former Ajax boss Ten Hag saw a huge change to the United first-team squad during the summer of 2022, with various big-money signings made with other players having to be sacrificed as a result.
Antony, Casemiro and Lisandro Martínez all arrived at Old Trafford, costing the hierarchy around £200m as they looked to back their new managerial appointment.
Such signings saw a variety of talents depart the Theatre of Dreams, including midfielder James Garner, who left his boyhood club, joining Everton in a deal worth £9m.
Fellow academy graduate Jesse Lingard also departed but the former England international rejected a new contract in the hunt for more consistent first-team minutes elsewhere.
He would subsequently join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest – earning an eye-watering £115k-per-week pay packet – but producing very little tangible reward, failing to register a single goal or assist in that Premier League campaign, before once again being released just 12 months later.
Big-money additions such as Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata would also leave the Red Devils at the end of their deals – freeing up millions of pounds a year in wages.
However, it was the sale of one other star that the hierarchy may live to regret a couple of years down the line.
The former United star who’s been more creative than Salah & Palmer
During the aforementioned window, the Red Devils also offloaded midfielder Andreas Pereira – with the Brazilian ending his 11-year stint in Manchester following his £10m transfer.
His time at Craven Cottage has resurrected his once-promising career after numerous years of only featuring as an impact player – starring under Marco Silva in recent years.
The 28-year-old has registered 23 combined goals and assists since his move in 2022, with Pereira taking his career to the next level, producing multiple stats that have blown some of the very best talents in the division out of the water.
The “phenomenal” Brazilian, as dubbed by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, may only have registered one goal this campaign, but he’s been a creative demon – surpassing figures produced by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
How Pereira compares to Salah & Palmer (2024/25) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | Pereira | Salah | Palmer |
Games played | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Goals & assists | 1 | 14 | 12 |
Passes completed | 34 | 23 | 30 |
Crosses attempted | 8.4 | 1.6 | 4.6 |
Shot-creating actions | 6.2 | 4.3 | 5.2 |
Short passes completed | 83% | 82% | 82% |
Stats via FBref | |||
He’s completed more passes per 90 at a higher success rate whilst also averaging 6.2 shot-creating actions, with his tally of 57 the highest tally of any player in the league as of the third international break.
Pereira’s subsequent form for the Cottagers has seen him consistently receive call-ups for his country, another example of how he’s progressed following his Old Trafford departure.
The £10m fee certainly now looks like a bargain, with the midfielder having been touted for a potential £30m swoop over the summer, amid interest from the likes of Newcastle United.
Ultimately, it may have been a mistake in allowing him to leave, with United’s loss undoubtedly Fulham’s game as Pereira looks to fire his current side into the top half come the end of May.
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