Manchester United have made some decent sales since the turn of the century, which boosted their coffers significantly
Manchester United are one of the most iconic clubs in the world. Period.
The Red Devils are known for their incredible history, one that was based on developing and promoting young talent in order to lay a firm foundation in England's footballing history.
While United's academy remains one of the best in the world, since the turn of the millennium, they have used their immense global appeal to not only attract but also sell some of the greatest talent in the world.
They have made some astonishing player sales, with some of the biggest names leaving Old Trafford for a mammoth fee.
Who ranks among the top most expensive sales made by the Red Devils?
Let's take a look!
Manchester United biggest transfer sales by season
2022-23Andreas Pereira£10m£16.60m2021-22Daniel James£25m£25m2020-21Chris Smalling£18.1m£19.60m2019-20Romelu Lukaku£70m£74.88m2018-19Daley Blind£14m£31m2017-18Henrikh Mkhitaryan£35m£44.70m2016-17Morgan Schneiderlin£24m£47.05m2015-16Angel Di Maria£44.3m£70.58m2014-15Danny Welbeck£16m£37.50m2013-14NoneNilNil2012-13Dimitar Berbatov£5m£8m2011-12John O'Shea£6m£9.30m2010-11Zoran Tosic£8m£14m2009-10Cristiano Ronaldo£80m£87.75m2008-09Gerard Pique£5m£6.75m2007-08Gabriel Heinze£8m£31.10m2006-07Ruud van Nistelrooy£10m£12.20m2005-06Phil Neville£3.5m£5.3m2004-05Nicky Butt£2.5m£6m2003-04David Beckham£25m£40m2002-03Dwight Yorke£2.6m£2.6m2001-02Jaap Stam£18m£29.75m2000-01Danny Higginbotham£2m£5.40mTotal£625.06m
*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise
Manchester United top 10 most expensive salesGetty ImagesJuan Sebastian Veron | £15m | Chelsea | 2003
Argentina superstar Juan Sebastian Veron was one of the most impressive midfielders in Europe in the late 1990s.
Sir Alex Ferguson sanctioned his arrival for £28.1 million at United in 2001, making him the most expensive transfer in English football at that time.
United fans had high hopes for Veron, but he stayed at the club for just two years, scoring seven goals in 51 appearances before joining Chelsea in 2003 for £15m.
Veron made just 15 appearances for the Blues, spending most of his stint there on loan to Inter and Estudiantes.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesDanny Welbeck | £16m | Arsenal | 2014
Ferguson handed Danny Welbeck his senior debut in 2008 before he was sent on a couple of loan spells, to Preston North End and Sunderland.
From the 2011-12 season, Welbeck became a regular at United, scoring 20 goals in 92 games.
The Manchester-born forward joined Arsenal for a £16 million fee in 2014. He scored 16 goals in 88 games for the Gunners before leaving for Watford in 2019.
Welbeck joined Brighton in 2020.
Getty ImagesJaap Stam | £18m | Lazio | 2001
After an impressive spell with PSV, where he was a key player in their Eredivisie title win in the 1996-97 season, Jaap Stam joined Manchester United for £10 million in 1998.
At United, he won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and the Champions League.
Early in the 2001-02 season, Stam was controversially sold to Lazio for £18m after Ferguson was reportedly upset about the allegations that the Dutchman made about Manchester United in his autobiography titled 'Head to Head'.
United signed Laurent Blanc as his replacement.
Getty ImagesMorgan Schneiderlin | £24m | Everton | 2017
Part of the Southampton team that was ripped apart in terms of transfers, Morgan Schneiderlin arrived at Old Trafford in 2015.
The Red Devils paid £25 million for his signature, but his time at United was unfortunate as he couldn't survive immense competition in their midfield, making just 32 appearances in two years at the club.
After failing to gain enough opportunities to prove himself at United, Schneiderlin was sold to Everton in January 2017 for the same price that United bought him at £24m. He joined Nice in 2020.