Six players who left Manchester United too soon

Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the history of the sport. The Red Devils have seen some of the best players pass through its ranks. Unfortunately, such is the nature of the game, they have also seen some remarkable players leave the club. 

Departures are never easy to take at the best of times, particularly the departures which come back to haunt a club later down the line. It's highlighted that a player left a club too early, when they go on to shine in their new surroundings. Fans oftentimes grow an attachment to players within the club, especially the players who fight the hardest for the badge. 

With that being said and with the power of hindsight, here are 6 examples of players who left Manchester United too early.

Six players who left Manchester United too soon

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (first time)

It is quite remarkable to say that a player who was at the club for six years in his first stint left too early but this is simply explained as the Cristiano Ronaldo effect. 

The legendary Portugal sensation broke through at Manchester United, playing at Old Trafford between the years 2003-2009. To this day, despite all he went on to achieve, Cristiano Ronaldo still holds a place close in his heart for Sir Alex Ferguson for showing him the ropes. 

At Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo won three Premier League titles and the Champions League. He also won the Ballon d’Or for the first time as a Manchester United player, before leaving to join Real Madrid in 2009. 

Ronaldo ultimately achieved more at Real Madrid than he did at Man United, despite being a successful club legend at both clubs. Man United fans cannot help but imagine what could have been if Ronaldo retired in Manchester. 

2. Gerard Pique

Not many people are aware that Gerard Pique is a product of the Manchester United youth academy. He is one of the most successful players to be raised at Old Trafford, despite achieving his success elsewhere. 

Gerard Pique only played 12 Premier League matches for Man United before he was sold to Barcelona. Despite being a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo’s at Man United, both him and Gerard Pique spent the prime stages of their careers as rivals in La Liga, representing either El Clasico side. 

Gerard Pique won the Premier League and Champions League with United but his Old Trafford achievements pale in comparison to his Camp Nou achievements. With Barca, Pique won nine Liga titles and three Champions League medals. This leaves Man United with the gut-wrenching feeling of “what if?”

3. Paul Pogba (first time)

Little transfers had more cultural significance than Paul Pogba returning to Manchester United in 2016. His second stint at Manchester United started with a feeling of justice and that United fans had “finally got their club back”. 

He broke the transfer record and served as a real sign of intent from Man United. Unfortunately, fans soon learned that Paul Pogba’s return to Man United would be unsuccessful overall, despite making 154 Premier League appearances on his return to Man United. 

But still, the question remained of “why did United sell Pogba in the first place?” After all, he became one of the best midfielders in the world at Juventus after leaving Manchester, being one of the best passers and boasting a cannon of a shot in his locker. If he stayed developing at United as a youngster, he had every potential to become a club legend.

4. Wilfried Zaha

Wilfried Zaha is no stranger to Man United fans and it’s not just because of his short time with the club but instead, after he left when he seemed to be linked back to Old Trafford in every following transfer window. 

Wilfried Zaha was one of the best wingers in the Premier League during his time and he surprisingly spent ten years (across two spells) with Crystal Palace, becoming a club legend there. The reason it was surprising is due to Zaha being linked to all of the big Premier League clubs whilst at Palace.

The Ivorian winger did sign for Manchester United as a youngster but he only spent two seasons in Manchester, playing just two Premier League games. Given that he re-joined Crystal Palace in 2015 and became a club legend there, it could be argued that he left Man United too soon. He could have been key to the post-Sir-Alex-rebuild.

5. Memphis Depay

In many ways, Memphis Depay was signed as a Wilfried Zaha replacement and he was depicted as becoming everything that Zaha could’ve been in a United shirt. However, with the power of hindsight, Man United fans know that both wingers didn’t live up to the expectations when they signed. 

However, it wasn’t through a lack of talent. Memphis Depay was signed in 2015 from PSV and he was tipped to be the next best thing. He only lasted two years in a United shirt before he was sold to Lyon. Almost immediately, he made Man United regret the sale as he impressed in a Lyon shirt. 

So much so that Depay even earned himself a move to Barcelona, where he won La Liga. The question remains, if Depay was good enough to ultimately play for Barcelona, why was he sold by Man United? With the right development plan, Depay could’ve been a world-beater. 

Right player at the wrong time? Maybe, just imagine him under Sir Alex Ferguson…

6. Angel Di Maria

Angel Di Maria is somewhat of an enigmatic character at Manchester United. He was signed with a lot of hype from Real Madrid in 2014, but only lasted one season at Man United in the Louis van Gaal era. 

This season was certainly one to forget and not one that Di Maria will look back on with any pride. In fact, he is considered as one of the worst signings in Premier League history. However, he could have simply been the right player at the wrong time as far as Man United are concerned. 

After all, nobody can deny Di Maria’s quality. After leaving Manchester United in 2015, Di Maria went onto win five Ligue 1 titles, two Copa America trophies and, of course, the World Cup. He even scored in the World Cup final, showing what could’ve been had he stuck with Man United despite the criticism.