With less than one week before the January transfer window closes, will Manchester United be forced into a panic buy or will they leave their shopping until the end of the season? The English Premier League is now into the second half of games and match day 22 is on the horizon, where Manchester United will take on Wolves in the Midlands Derby at the Molineux Stadium.
Manchester United sits 8th on the table on 32 points, 8 points behind 4th place Ason Villa who is enjoying a form of their life. The Red Devils might be licking their wounds as they welcome back Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro back from injury to add some stability in defence and midfield but will still be without the services of Anthony Martial and six others who are still on the doctor’s bed.
Manchester United might just run out of steam if they do not strengthen the squad or at least get some of those out-of-form players to start firing again. The January transfer has been a blessing in disguise for the Red Devils despite a few flops. Let us look at the top 4 best January signings for Manchester United down the years.
Top 4 January signings for Manchester United down the years
1. Nemanja Vidic (Spartak Moscow, £7m), Jan. 5, 2006
Manchester United outmuscled their fellow EPL rivals and other competitors around Europe's top league for the services of Vidic for a mere 7 million pounds in 2006. The Serbia center-back quickly adjusted and bought into Sir Alex Ferguson’s philosophy forming a rock-solid pair of steel between himself and Rio Ferdinand. Vidic played 211 games, scoring 15 goals over his 8-year tenure. Vidic won 15 trophies including 5 Premier League titles, and 1 Champions League, along with several individual awards including Premier League Player of the Season twice in 2008/2009 and 2010/2011.
Vidic became an icon at Old Trafford thanks to his style of play. Described by David Pleat of The Guardian as a "no-nonsense" defender, Vidić has been labelled as a "tough" centre-back, who was known for his physical challenges and his superb ability to read the game. At the peak of his career, Vidic was touted as one of the world's best centre-backs due to his defensive consistency and awareness, as well as his strength, leadership, and ability in the air, which made him a goal threat on set pieces. One of the best, and toughest, defenders to have played in the league. He was thoroughly missed after moving on to Inter Milan in 2014 and was the first name on Sir Alex Ferguson's team sheet.