Manuel Ugarte next: Ranking every player Man Utd have signed ...
Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain – but how have their previous imports from Ligue 1 fared at Old Trafford?
United have agreed personal terms with Ugarte and they also bought Leny Yoro from Lille earlier in the transfer window.
We’ve taken a look at the first-team players that United have previously signed from Ligue 1 and ranked them from worst to best.
Note: we’ve not included any youth team players so that rules out the likes of Paul Pogba and Hannibal Mejbri.
10. William Prunier
Prunier bought out his contract with Bordeaux in order to join United on a trial basis in December 1995.
While United initially intended to use him in their reserve matches, the centre-back was thrust into the first team due to an injury crisis in defence.
He impressed on his debut against QPR but a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane would end up being his second and final appearance for United.
9. Gabriel Obertan
United fought off competition from Arsenal, AC Milan and Inter to sign Obertan from Bordeaux in a £3million deal in the summer of 2009.
The winger had the unenviable task of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, who left United for Real Madrid in the same transfer window.
He failed to make the grade at Old Trafford, scoring one goal in 28 appearances in all competitions before joining Newcastle United in 2011.
8. Radamel Falcao
Following an injury-hit debut season at Moncao, Falcao decided to join United on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2014.
The former Colombia international arrived at Old Trafford with a reputation as one of the best strikers in the world, but he had an underwhelming season at United.
He scored just four goals in 29 appearances in all competitions and United opted against turning the loan move into a permanent deal.
⏪ Winding it back to @Falcao‘s first #MUFC goal ????????#ThrowbackThursday | #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/ATemhZVrX3
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 14, 2021
7. Eric Djemba-Djemba
United signed Djemba-Djemba from Nantes in 2003 after identifying the midfielder as a potential long-term successor to the then-31-year-old Roy Keane.
He failed to live up to that billing and made just 39 appearances for United before joining Aston Villa in a £1.35million deal in January 2005.
“I was young coming from the league in France and back in the day it was not like the Premier League, which was the hardest-pressing league in the world,” he said.
“It was a lot of pressure – we’re talking about Roy Keane; the man, the captain, he was hard. It was difficult for me.
“I did my best and I played some good games, but it was hard for me. My team-mates helped me and Sir Alex Ferguson helped me. To be there was everything, and I have no regrets.”
6. Gabriel Heinze
Heinze joined United from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2004 and won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in his debut season.
But he missed the majority of the following campaign with a serious knee injury and subsequently lost his place at left-back to Patrice Evra.
His time at Old Trafford came to an acrimonious end in 2007 after he tried to force through a transfer to arch-rivals Liverpool.
Sir Alex Ferguson refused to sanction the deal but the former Argentina international did eventually get a move that summer, signing for Real Madrid instead.
5. Edinson Cavani
United bolstered their attacking options in 2020 by signing Cavani, who was available on a free transfer following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Uruguay international scored 17 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions in his debut season as United finished runners-up in both the Premier League and the Europa League.
He fell out of favour following Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford and netted just two goals in the 2021/22 season before leaving on a free transfer.
4. Anthony Martial
Martial became the world’s most expensive teenager in September 2015 when he swapped Monaco for United in a deal worth an initial £36million and another £21.6million in potential add-ons.
He made an immediate impact by scoring against Liverpool on his Old Trafford debut and finished the 2015/16 season with 17 goals in all competitions and an FA Cup winner’s medal.
The striker struggled to reach those same heights over the following eight seasons and his United career became plagued by injuries and inconsistency.
He was released by United at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, having scored 90 goals in 317 appearances in all competitions.
3. Fabien Barthez
After Mark Bosnich and Raimond Van der Gouw failed to fill the void left by Peter Schmeichel’s departure, United signed Barthez from Monaco in 2000.
The goalkeeper enjoyed a brilliant debut season, winning the Premier League title and securing a place in the PFA Team of the Year.
But his second season at Old Trafford was marred by a number of high-profile mistakes as United slipped to a third-place finish.
While United reclaimed the league title in 2002/03, the former France international lost his place in the team and was allowed to join Marseille in January 2004.
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Ibrahimovic won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles at Paris Saint-Germain before joining United on a free transfer in the summer of 2016.
The then-34-year-old striker scored 17 goals in 28 Premier League appearances in 2016/17 and was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award.
He also scored the winner in the Community Shield, a brace in the League Cup final victory against Southampton and five goals in their Europa League-winning campaign.
But a serious knee ligament injury towards the end of that season curtailed his United career, and he joined LA Galaxy on a free transfer in March 2018.
“I feel sorry for the fans – if they’d seen me younger, they’d have seen a different lion,” he said. “For the Premier League, it would have been dangerous, as I would have eaten them for breakfast; instead, I took them for lunch.”
⏮️ Throwback to this late minute winner from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in our last League Cup final against Southampton in 2017???? #MUFC pic.twitter.com/yq7L2vXAJc
— MUFC Away ???????? (@mufcaway_) February 25, 2023
1. Patrice Evra
Evra was part of the Monaco side that reached the 2004 Champions League final, and he joined United 18 months later in a £5.5million deal.
The left-back initially struggled to adapt to English football and was substituted at half-time on his debut against Manchester City.
“The football was so fast, so strong,” he said. “I was chilling in Monte Carlo – I was named the best left-back four times. I was thinking I’d made it, that I was a big player. Then at half-time, that’s the first time I was introduced to the hairdryer by Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He destroyed everyone and he came to me and said, ‘You’re going to sit next to me and you’re going to learn English football’. I’ve played for the French national team, I’ve been in the final of the Champions League – and on my first game I’ve been subbed after 45 minutes.”
He turned things around and enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Club World Cup and the Champions League.
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