Manchester United April Fools: Five of the biggest flops
By Bence Bocsak
Manchester United have made some major blunders over the years, here are the five biggest Red Devils flops from the past. Brace yourself.
Brace yourself Manchester United fans. This article comes with a warning. You may want to tear your eyes out after reading it.
You know the ones. Those players who make you wonder whether you could have made it. Whether football is some sort of fluke.
They are absolute stinkers. They can’t even control the ball or make a straight pass. They amble around the field like a lost puppy.
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These are the players who you wish you could erase from your mind. Erase that they ever played for United, or even set at foot on the turf at Old Trafford.
So by all means here is the list. The top five biggest United flops in no particular order.
They were all horrendous.
5. Gabriel Obertan
Appearances: 28
Goals: 1
He was once tipped to be the next Thierry Henry. At just 20 years of age, Gabriel Obertan arrived at Old Trafford with huge expectations.
With Cristiano Ronaldo having departed, many expected him to fill the void left by the Portuguese winger.
Of course, Obertan did none of that. He ran around the pitch like a headless chicken and struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.
His pace and skills were non-existent. He looked star-struck in a United shirt.
He left United after just two seasons and now finds himself playing in the Turkish second tier after failed spells with Wigan and Newcastle.
4. Kleberson
Appearances: 30
Goals: 2
United kept an eye on two Brazilian stars during their triumph at the 2002 World Cup. One of them was Ronaldinho, the other was Kleberson.
In the end the Red Devils opted to sign the latter and have probably rued their mistake ever since.
Kleberson was an energetic midfielder but he just couldn’t settle in the Premier League.
He struggled to fight himself into the club’s starting eleven and left two years later.
3. Bebe
Appearances: 7
Goals: 2
United signed the Portuguese after impressing at the European street football festival. At 20 years of age, Bebe had yet to play any top flight football at the time.
Unsurprisingly, he failed to make a strong impression during his spell and struggled to fight himself into the first team.
He netted in the Champions League and the League Cup, but because of the steep figure United paid for him despite his unknown status he makes the list.
2. Angel di Maria
Appearances: 32
Goals: 4
He arrived as one of the most expensive transfers at the time. Angel Di Maria was expected to be the man who lead United back to their glory days.
After having impressed at Real Madrid, much was expected of the Argentinian but Di Maria could not find his rhythm in the Premier League and was a hugely disappointing signing.
After a measly four goals during his first season, he was swiftly shipped to Paris Saint German.
1. Alexis Sanchez
Appearances: 45
Goals: 5
Manchester United had just thought they pulled off the coup of the century when they brought in Alexis Sanchez from rivals, Arsenal, for a cut figure.
They would be proven catastrophically wrong.
Sanchez was a shadow of himself in a United shirt and could never find even a vestige of his form from his Gunners days.
Currently on loan at Inter Milan, it is expected Sanchez will depart Old Trafford in the summer.
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Who have we missed from the list?