Manchester United aren't afraid to target players from outside of Europe to try and find success. We saw this during Sir Alex Ferguson's 26-season reign, developing several unknown prospects in world-class superstars.
The Red Devils have an interesting track record when it comes to African talent, with some such as Amad, becoming huge hits at Old Trafford. Others have unfortunately failed to live up to expectations albeit competing for places in title-winning squads.
Bryan Mbeumo has become the latest African to sign for United, joining the Reds in a £71m deal in the summer of 2025. He joins fellow Cameroonian Andre Onana at the club but where does the goalkeeper rank among the nine players from the continent to take to the pitch at the Theatre of Dreams pitch? Here we rank 10 from the continent based on their time at the club.
Top 10 best African players in Man United history
10 - Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)
If we were judging this based solely on footballing ability you'd find it hard to argue against Wilfried Zaha topping the list. But the Ivorian winger's time at United was short and definitely not sweet, rarely given a chance to shine under David Moyes.
Zaha was Sir Alex Ferguson's final signing and what should have been a gift for Moyes turned out to be a dissapointment. He was sent out on loan to Cardiff City after failing to win over the Scot and then Louis van Gaal. A case of what could have been having made just four appearances before leaving for Crystal Palace.
9 - Mame Biram Diouf (Senegal)
Mame Biram Diouf is an unfamiliar name who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer advised the club sign but what he boasts over Zaha is that he scored on his debut for the Red Devils. The Senegalese striker made nine appearances and while that was his only strike, he did get his hands on the League Cup.
There was little chance of Diouf breaking into Ferguson's team because he was battling it out with Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez. At least he had a memorable debut to look back on with his header against Burnley.
8 - Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)
Erik ten Hag called Hannibal Mejbri an example for his United teammates when he started and starred in a win over Burnley in the 2024-25 campaign. That and a 30-yarder against Brighton were the highlights of a brief spell for the Tunisian at senior level.
Hannibal made the step up from the Reds' youth academy and showed glimpses of promise but sometimes too much aggression. He left for Burnley due to a lack of game time, perhaps just not of the standard required to compete for Europe.
7 - Eric Djemba-Djemba (Cameroon)
United were scrambling for a Roy Keane replacement when they swooped for Eric Djemba-Djemba in the summer of 2003. The Cameroonian midfielder arrived from Nantes and the task of becoming Ferguon's midfield anchor was too much of an ask.
That said, some of Djemba-Djemba's better moments go under the radar because of the cult following he earned because of his name. He was doomed from the start given all the factors that led to his switch to Old Trafford.
6 - Andre Onana (Cameroon)
Andre Onana has the right attitude to be a success at United but not the confidence as seen throughout his spell. The Cameroonian shot-stopper was celebrated as one of Europe's finest goalkeepers at Ajax and Inter Milan but has fallen off a cliff at Old Trafford.
That's not to say Onana hasn't had some impressive performances such as his penalty save against Copenhagen in the Champions League. But the constant mistakes are becoming too inevitable and he hasn't been the reliable number one the club envisioned they'd signed.
5 - Odion Ighalo (Nigeria)
We will go out on a limb and argue that Odion Ighalo is among the top five best post-Sir Alex strikers to arrive at United. There was much criticism over Solskjaer's decision to bring him on loan but he wasn't half bad with a tally of five goals in 23 games.
Ighalo was a stop-gap signing who did what was asked of him during his brief period with the Reds. It also helped that we were his favourite club growing up and he wore the jersey with pride including that incredible goal against LASK in the Europa League.
4 - Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco)
Another African player to join United on loan was Sofyan Amrabat as the transfer chiefs struggled to find a much-needed, energetic, holding midfielder. The Moroccan was coming off a standout performance at the 2022 World Cup.
Amrabat became Ten Hag's handyman, filling in at right-back, left-back and pretty much every midfield position. One of his best performaces came in the 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final and many argued he should have been bought permanently.
3 - Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)
If it weren't for injury issues there's no telling how successful Eric Bailly would have been at Old Trafford. The Ivorian centre-back was a pacey and powerful defender who seemed perfect for Jose Mourinho's brand of football.
Bailly just couldn't stay fit though and his time on the sidelines started taking their toll on his performances. He was often heralded by fans but sadly couldn't shake off a nightmare injury record.
2 - Quinton Fortune (South Africa)
The only South African player to wear the red of United was Quinton Fortune and he embodied all the courage of the Rainbow nation. While he didn't become a starter under Ferguson, he was an effective rotational option whose versatility came in handy during title winning campaigns.
Fortune's professionalism, willing to wait in the wings for an opportunity are traits that many of United's current squad should take note of. He was a fast and clever ball-carrying midfielder whose left foot sometimes caught the opposition by surprise.
1 - Amad (Ivory Coast)
Amad is just getting started at United but even with Mbeumo arriving he remains one of Amorim's talismen. When the Ivorian winger was injured in the 2024-25 campaign, the Reds endured the worst period in the club's Premier League history.
It can't be understated just how influental Amad has been in recent years. We don't win the FA Cup in 2024 without his iconic winner against Liverpool en route to the Wembley victory over City. Speaking of the Cityzens, his fantastic finish in a 2-1 turnaround at the Etihad piled more misery on the neighbours and Pep Guardiola. Simply class and still with the world at his feet.
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