Ranking the top 3 Manchester United January transfers

Modified Nov 18, 2019 15:24 GMT

Nemanja Vidic was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's finest signings

#1 Nemanja Vidic

How many centre-halves can you name who actually like defending? Vidic liked it. He loved the challenge of sticking his head in there. You could tell that the thrill of contesting those 50-50 balls animated him.

Those were the words of Sir Alex Ferguson, who nurtured the Serbian and turned him into one of the best defenders at Old Trafford. Nemanja Vidic joined Manchester United in January 2006 for a reported fee of £7 million. It would turn out to be a bargain, as Vidic went on to become one of the best defenders in the world and certainly among the greatest ever to play in the Premier League.

The Serbian did not have the best of starts to life at Manchester United. However, like a true champion, Vidic picked up pace and soon attained cult status among fans. His no-nonsense style of defending and his bravery made him a fan-favourite.

Vidic was exceptional in the air and strong on the ball. His tackles and aggression made him a feared opponent on the pitch. However, the Serbian was equally comfortable with the ball at his feet and was a complete defender who marshalled the United defence with charisma.

Vidic formed a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand that is widely regarded as one of the best of the Premier League era. The Serbian made 300 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 15 goals too.

He won a host of trophies and was even the skipper for the club from the 2010/11 season till his departure at the end of the 2013/14 season.

He was, without doubt, the best January transfer for United and also one of Ferguson's finest signings.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written over 8500 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5Million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Zaid Khan