Five years after Manchester United’s promising start to the 2021 season, several high-profile signings from that period have struggled to find their footing, reflecting broader challenges in the club’s rebuilding efforts. The trajectories of key players such as Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho highlight the difficulties United has faced in establishing a cohesive and successful squad since the post-Alex Ferguson era.
In the summer of 2021, optimism was high at Old Trafford following a commanding 5-1 season-opening victory over Leeds United. Manchester United had invested heavily in attacking talent, securing the signatures of Jadon Sancho for £73 million and having Paul Pogba as a creative midfield core. Alongside Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, and Donny van de Beek, the team looked stocked with potential. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær attempted to transition from a counterattacking style to a possession-based approach, but repeated defeats against rivals such as Manchester City and Liverpool dampened morale and momentum.
Despite the initial fanfare, both Sancho and Pogba’s spells at United have been underwhelming. Sancho, signed from Borussia Dortmund amid high expectations, failed to consistently justify his transfer fee and spent much of the last three years on loan at Dortmund, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. He left United this summer upon contract expiration and currently remains a free agent, with little interest from top European clubs. Factors including a hospitalisation due to an ear infection early in his United tenure, as revealed by Solskjær, hindered his ability to make an immediate impact.
Pogba’s situation has been complicated by injuries and disciplinary issues. After departing United at the end of the 2021-22 season, the World Cup-winning midfielder returned to Juventus but managed only 12 appearances due to injury setbacks and an 18-month doping suspension, which had originally been a four-year ban before reduction on appeal. In 2025, Pogba joined Monaco but appeared in just six games before being released. He is now a free agent at age 33, with his next destination uncertain.
Other members of the 2021 squad have also faced difficulties. Mason Greenwood’s career at United ended amid off-field legal troubles followed by a transfer to Marseille and then Fenerbahce. Anthony Martial, once a potential leading forward, last played professionally in Mexico and is also currently without a club. Donny van de Beek was sold in 2024 for a nominal fee and is attempting to revive his form in Spain. Marcus Rashford has returned to United this summer after loan spells elsewhere, while Fernandes remains the sole player from that attacking cohort to have maintained a consistent presence and influence at Old Trafford.
The significant financial outlays on Pogba and Sancho, alongside a series of other high-profile transfers during Ed Woodward’s tenure as United’s chief executive, have been scrutinised as emblematic of flawed recruitment and planning strategies. The pairing of commercial ambitions with football decisions, including the celebrated but divisive signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021, has been criticised for contributing to a lack of squad cohesion and sustainable progress.
As Michael Carrick prepares to undertake managerial responsibilities at United, the mixed fortunes of these players serve as a cautionary example amid ongoing efforts to reshape the club’s playing style and competitiveness. The lessons from the past half-decade illustrate the complexity of executing a successful rebuild at one of football’s most scrutinised institutions.