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In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise, Manchester United have wasted money like it was going out of fashion.

Nearly £2 billion has been spent on recruitment at Old Trafford in this period, with the quality this exorbitant investment has returned turning the hallowed ground into the Theatre of Nightmares.

75 players have been signed, yet only a handful could be classed as ‘good’ deals, let alone excellent ones. But in the midst of this mire of mediocrity stands a midfield maestro who reaches this standard of excellence, Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes arrived from Sporting CP for an initial £47m in 2020, immediately establishing himself as United’s best – and most influential – player. Six years later, with the captain’s armband on his shoulder, the Portuguese talisman has returned 104 goals and 99 assists, becoming the heartbeat of the team and the soul of the club.

In a long line of expensive errors, the 31-year-old midfielder has been the most correct decision United have made since Ferguson’s departure. But that begs the question: who has been the best signing since Fernandes?

The Belgian Behemoth

While the overwhelming consensus from last summer’s cohort of recruits...