It's been extremely rare to see a Manchester United line-up called "the greatest" since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013. The legendary Scot assembled title-winning squads with each passing era before deciding to call it a day after 26 seasons in charge.
The recruitment that has followed has been utterly disastrous with huge sums of money spent on the wrong profile of players. We've seen countless big names arrive and fail to live up to expectations while raking in tons of money on a weekly basis.
There have been some who have managed to come to the fore such as Cristiano Ronaldo who made a groundbreaking return in the summer of 2021. Many thought the glory days were back on the horizon when he reunited with the Reds but the club continued to fall from grace.
INEOS are here to try and pick up the pieces and we'll see how they fare but don't expect to see a world record fee spent on a player like the £89.3m spent on Paul Pogba in 2016. The Frenchman and Ronaldo endured topsy-turvy spells and don't crack our XI of best post-Ferguson signings.
Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero
Sergio Romero is chosen in goal and that speaks volumes of just how dreadful recruiting goalkeepers has panned out in recent years. He joined United as a free agent in the summer of 2015 and accepted a backup role.
There was little chance Romero was starting over David de Gea whose peak came during the Argentine's spell at Old Trafford. He fared well when called upon though and is definitely more reliable than current number one Andre Onana.
Right-Back: Diogo Dalot
The right-back position was only ever going to come down to two choices: Diogo Dalot or Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The pair battled it out for the role throughout most of the latter's spell with United and it was the Portuguese who ended up prevailing.
Dalot joined the Red Devils from FC Porto in July 2018 for a reported £19m (per Sky Sports). He initially was sent out on loan to AC Milan to try and further his development and this worked out for the 26-year-old who was just recently handed the no.2 jersey.
Centre-Back: Raphael Varane
The summer of 2021 was an exciting time for United fans and it was Raphael Varane's acquistion that got the ball rolling. The French defender decided to pack in constant trophy wins at Real Madrid and head to Old Trafford in a £40m (per ESPN) to take on the challenge of reviving a fallen giant.
Did Varane succeed in his mission? No, but what he did do was bring a sense of calmness to a usually erratic backline that was always prone to a mistake. He also helped end a six-year trophy drought with impressive performances under Erik ten Hag before their relationship turned frosty.
Centre-Back: Lisandro Martinez
If it weren't for recurring injury problems you could argue Lisandro Martinez is the best defender signed since Ferguson's retirement. That doesn't mean he's a world-class centre-back or that he'd get into the Scot's teams that dominated the Premier League.
Martinez, who cost £56.7m from Ajax in 2022 (per Sky Sports), has been plagued by injuries but when fit and at his best he is a key man at the back. His partnership with Varane is perhaps one of the best in the club's history and should have lasted longer than it did.
Left-Back: Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw has been at United for so long you'd be forgiven for thinking he was a member of Ferguson's squad. The English left-back arrived from Southampton in the summer of 2014 for £27m (per BBC).
Many expected Shaw to become the next Gareth Bale and while he has all the ability in the world he is also one of the most frustrating players in the club's history. He can't stay fit but when he at least gets on the pitch he can be fantastic defensively and going forward.
Right-Wing: Amad
Loyal United fans will all remember that header Amad managed against AC Milan in the Europa League in March 2021. That was a sign of what was to come from the Ivorian attacker who has stepped into the role of one of the Reds' main protagonists.
Amad has lit up the Theatre of Dreams during a gloomy period with inspired performances that make fans dream of better days. His £37m arrival from Atalanta (per TNT Sport) has proven to be an excellent piece of bussiness.
Central Midfield: Bruno Fernandes (C)
There is no doubt in any sane United fan's mind that Bruno Fernandes is on par with Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes. Every time he gets on the ball he looks to make his side tick and he's been a world-class performer in the worst Red Devils team in history.
Fernandes responded to Roy Keane's criticism of his leadership by doing his talking on the pitch. He has over-exceeded expectations since arriving from Sporting CP in January 2020 for an initial £47m (per BBC) and deserves to wear the captain's armband.
Central Midfield: Ander Herrera
We're prepared to take pelters for this claim but Ander Herrera was better than Pogba during their time at United. While Pogba encountered several injury problems, Herrera remained available and up for the fight, displaying a never-say-die attitude that would have been a hit under Ferguson.
Herrera did his side's dirty work alongside showcasing the Spanish playmaking abilities that were of course in his locker. He is a cult hero and the £29m (per BBC) paid to Athletic Bilbao in June 2014 was definitely money well spent.
Left-Wing: Anthony Martial
The roar from the Stretford End when Anthony Martial netted on his debut against Liverpool was deafening. That was the height of the versatile French attacker's time with the club because injuries just kept stacking up for a player once tipped to become the next Thierry Henry.
Martial at his best was a nightmare for defenders and had he not been so injury prone there's no telling what he'd have achieved. The problem was that there was so much expected of him after a £36m (per BBC) switch from AS Monaco in 2015 that made him the world's most expensive teenager at the time.
Attacking Midfield: Juan Mata
If we were judging this based on a post-Ferguson signing throughout their United career than Cristiano Ronaldo takes his place in the team. But this is only players who arrived after the Scot's reign and Juan Mata, who cost £37.1m from Chelsea in January 2014 (per BBC), deserves a spot.
Mata was excellent despite playing in a dysfunctional Red Devils side, displaying incredible dribbling and vision. The Spanish attacker delivered many memorable moments including that scissor kick against Liverpool at Anfield in 2015.
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had all the tools to be United's Eric Cantona and propell the Reds back into consistent title contention. It's irritating that the legendary Swede arrived aged 36 (on a free) rather than earlier in his career to try and mend a broken Red Devils side.
The best season the Stretford End have witnessed since Ferguson's retirement came in 2017 and Ibrahimovic was at the forefront of it. He was the reason we lifted the League Cup and also played his part in our Europa League triumph, which by the way, is his only European title of his career.
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