3 expensive Manchester United defenders who were successful at Old Trafford

Jaap Stam

The legendary Jaap Stam makes it to the third place. To say that he had a stellar career at Manchester United would be an understatement. Alex Ferguson purchased the center back £10.6 million from PSV. This made him the most expensive player at the time. The astronomical price Ferguson paid did for him did not worry the manager one bit. Instead he claimed that PSV had made a mistake selling him. And mistake they did indeed.

Stam would go on to win 3 consecutive premier leagues with United. He also added one FA Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Stam was known for his speed, strength and aerial dominance. All of which came in handy during United’s treble in 1999. Unfortunately, his United career was cut short after he managed to cross Ferguson through his autobiography, Head to Head, where he claimed that Ferguson approached to buy him without the permission of PSV.  He was sold to Lazio in 2001 for £16 million. However, Ferguson later claimed that doing so was a huge mistake.

Regardless, Stam achieved more in 3 years than many do in their entire careers. Unfortunately, the fact that he provided United with only 3 years of service is why he is ranked at 3.