As usual Manchester United have been linked with a whole raft of players in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window opening and the speculation will only intensify as we move into the remainder of December and then throughout the month of January.

As United fans will remember the recent failed gamble of paying a ridiculous contract salary of around £500,000 per week when they saw off the challenge of Man City to seal the deal that brought Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford in January 2018. Sanchez was a total bust only scoring 3 goals in an injury ravaged 34 games for United where he did not show any of the form he did while with Arsenal.

United have not always failed with their business dealings in January, however, it was in January 2006 they actually completed two of the best signings ever in January but of course it happened in the middle of Sir Alex Ferguson’s spell in charge at Old Trafford. The two players we refer to arrived in the same transfer winter window 2006.

Signed from Spartak Moscow, Serbian centre-back Nemanja Vidic was a rock at the centre of United’s defence paired with Rio Ferdinand and he was a warrior for Ferguson as he would literally run through walls for his boss. The other brilliant signing was French international Patrice Evra who was an immensely popular player who made the left back position his own with his marauding runs down the wing and brilliant delivery into the box.

Both players won a host of silverware with United in their time at the club – 2006-2014 which included 5 Premier League title wins and a Champions League win amongst numerous other honours.

It will be interesting to see if United make any big moves – there certainly has been no shortage of quality players linked with a move to join Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new youth revolution.