Manchester United transfer troubles started with Sir Alex Ferguson and the Glazers

"Two world-class signings," David Gill promised Manchester United supporters in 2006. The incomings were Michael Carrick and Tomasz Kuszczak.

Carrick had a great career at United, seeing it all and winning the lot. United paid nearly double the opening £10million offer they made to Tottenham, with Sir Alex Ferguson enduring a negotiation process with Daniel Levy that was "more painful than my hip replacement".

That deal came in the midst of a golden era of recruitment for United, sparked by Wayne Rooney's defection down the East Lancs Road in 2004. In the summer and winter transfer windows in 2005-06, United signed Edwin van der Sar, Ji-sung Park, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra for £19.5m. Carrick, Van der Sar, Vidic and Evra started in all three Champions League finals United reached between 2008-11 and Park in two.

Ferguson's hit rate for out-and-out successes subsided significantly in his twilight years. Even the 2007 intake - United's best ever summer window - have caveats. Owen Hargreaves and Anderson peaked in their first seasons, Carlos Tevez left after two years and though Nani developed into a higher calibre winger, it was fleeting. Nani's Old Trafford career ended with his return to Sporting for a season-long loan before United accepted peanuts from Fenerbahce.

Dimitar Berbatov, the headline arrival in 2008, was so polarising he was dropped from the 2011 Champions League final squad even though he was the team's top scorer. Berbatov was afforded a meagre 11 starts in his final season, filling in at centre half in the League Cup stroll against Leeds United.

Berbatov, Nani and Anderson are deified as they were members of title-winning squads and the former two, in particular, were classy conjurers. Hargreaves