Tekel Towers » Who is Utd's Biggest Ever Signing?

Tek · 12/4/2021 2:31 am

I mean in terms of literally just thinking 'fuck me, what a signing?'.

A 'marquee signing', if you will.

12/4/2021 7:05 am

Good ane Tek.
Two that spring to mind are Bannon & Pettigrew but they may be down the list once everyone has had their say.
And in my vintage the Scandinavians (typically Orjan Persson) tho we wouldn't have realised it at the time so that doesn't really count.

dufc2019 · 12/4/2021 8:25 am

Shanks was massive at the time

Tangy · 12/4/2021 8:37 am

Although they turned out to be disasters a lot of mixus signings.

Kawashima - a boy with 60+ caps at a good national level
Guy Demel - seen it and done it all internationally and in the premiership

Even pongolle- his career hadn't went the way he would have hoped but was still a champions league winner...

motherwellarab · 12/4/2021 8:52 am

Tek wrote:
I mean in terms of literally just thinking 'fuck me, what a signing?'.

A 'marquee signing', if you will.

That's a great question actually, in my time watching united I would say in terms of a major name signing I would say siggi Johnson who was a pretty well known name and had very good reputation just a shame his injuries hampered him becoming a real top top player, also miodrag krivokapic was a top signing wasn't he captain of his country?

Morphman · 12/4/2021 8:55 am

Think Shankland would be up there for sure. We knew he'd been offered terms but don't think anyone expected him to come here, a real show of intent from the new owners.

One that springs to mind, albeit a complete failure, is Rudi Skacel. Couldn't believe it when he signed for us, unfortunately it turned out he was well past it and didn't give a f*** about anything other than Hertz.

Goodwillie returning on loan was a big one as well at the time, ended up being used as a left winger by Jackie and totally wasted. Still remember the roar when he scored his first goal on his comeback vs St Johnstone. Ultimately a dafty who ruined his own career, clear he still had talent that's been wasted in the lower leagues with Clyde because his name was too toxic for the big clubs to touch.

One that did live up to the billing was Andy Webster, was a big signing but we all thought he was done after those injuries. Ended the season as captain and won us the Scottish Cup. Don't see that happen with a loanee very often.

JerryDungle · 12/4/2021 10:07 am

McInnes was a pretty big one, captain of West Brom who were in the Premier League at the time.
Goodie on loan from Blackburn, Lee Miller given the season he’d just had on loan at Hearts prior to joining. There’s a theme there.

Biggest in terms of impact, Shankland and Webster, no doubt.

Shedtastic · 12/4/2021 10:24 am

Nicky Weaver was one.

finn_dossing · 12/4/2021 10:54 am

Josimar the Brazillian full back and Charlie George. Both turned out to be brilliant signings for us.

Shakey Isles Arab · 12/4/2021 12:11 pm

Going back to the Scandinavians for auld yins like me we're not just talking one signing we're talking 5 or 6
all in quick succession: Lennart Wing, Orjan Personn, Finn Seeman, Finn Dossing, Mogens Berg. If 5 at once isn't marquee I don't know what is, they took us from a side of Terrors to a side of Terrors where we demanded and got European football year in year out.94xcm..

Glasgow is tangerine · 12/4/2021 1:27 pm

Probably Siggi.
I feel embarrassed now that I got excited about Stevie Crawford signing, thought he was going to be a United legend haha.

Tek · 12/4/2021 1:35 pm

Seems strange saying it now.

But Mark Kerr was a big signing at the time given how highly rated he was and how many clubs in England were supposedly after him.

Same goes for our other big signing from Falkirk around about the same time = Colin Samuel.

Thought he was gonna be a goal machine. Particularly after his pre-season winner versus Everton.

Snacks94 · 12/4/2021 1:58 pm

Agree Crawford was a bit of a coup as he was Scotland international and wanted by Hearts and Aberdeen, similarly Lee Miller. Both were of course very poor for us.

In recent times nobody has created as much buzz as the day Shankland was announced. You went from hoping we’d win the league to knowing we’d win the league.

lifesanocean · 12/4/2021 2:36 pm

Steven Pressley was a big signing considering we had just been relegated and he was playing in the English Premiership. Record fee as well.

Petric was a Yugoslav internationalist in 1993 as well and could've gone to Euro 92 in arguably the strongest European side ever.

12/4/2021 4:45 pm

I remember being impressed and excited when Scott Crabbe signed from Hearts.

Finn Seemann · 13/4/2021 9:14 am

I always thought that the signings of Ian Redford and Iain Ferguson were incredibly shrewd signings and I wasn't disappointed.

Beharder · 13/4/2021 9:42 am

Pettigrew was exactly what we needed at the time. We were desperate for a 20 goal a season striker he came in and did that job.
+ he scored 4 against DFC in the days when they still believed they were top dogs in the city.

Tek · 13/4/2021 3:26 pm

Surprised no one has said Alex Mathie, yet.

£750,000

A guy who had scored down in England for a club bigger than Utd. Was a real show of intent that signing.

Sadly, we know how it went. Well those of a certain age, anyway.

BMT · 13/4/2021 3:30 pm

I'm really surprised no one has said Rodney Sneijder
Remember sitting full of anticipation when he made his debut !

Tek · 13/4/2021 3:46 pm

Owen Coyle was another big signing.

Arabdownsouth · 13/4/2021 3:54 pm

Tek wrote:
Surprised no one has said Alex Mathie, yet.

£750,000

A guy who had scored down in England for a club bigger than Utd. Was a real show of intent that signing.

Sadly, we know how it went. Well those of a certain age, anyway.

500,000 was it not? I do remember being very excited and subsequently very disappointed.

Arabdownsouth · 13/4/2021 3:56 pm

Alex Nicholls was one that got my pulse racing 🙄🤣

Tek · 13/4/2021 4:50 pm

Arabdownsouth wrote:
Tek wrote:
Surprised no one has said Alex Mathie, yet.

£750,000

A guy who had scored down in England for a club bigger than Utd. Was a real show of intent that signing.

Sadly, we know how it went. Well those of a certain age, anyway.

500,000 was it not? I do remember being very excited and subsequently very disappointed.

I'm pretty sure it was 750k.

Think him and Pressley are our joint highest transfers paid.

Arabdownsouth · 13/4/2021 6:39 pm

Tek wrote:
Arabdownsouth wrote:
Tek wrote:
Surprised no one has said Alex Mathie, yet.

£750,000

A guy who had scored down in England for a club bigger than Utd. Was a real show of intent that signing.

Sadly, we know how it went. Well those of a certain age, anyway.

500,000 was it not? I do remember being very excited and subsequently very disappointed.
I'm pretty sure it was 750k.

Think him and Pressley are our joint highest transfers paid.

However much it was, it was a fucking disastrous signing. Indicative of the times when Scottish clubs indulged in football business like a game of monopoly though 😕

13/4/2021 9:23 pm

£500k according to Arab Archive...
https://www.arabarchive.co.uk/player.php?id=274