Ranked: Man United’s top five most expensive goalkeepers ever
Manchester United have a storied past at goalkeeper, with several greats of English football donning the number one shirt at Old Traffird.
In the 90s Peter Schmeichel was a premium shot stopper and Sir Alex Ferguson called the Dane the ‘bargain of the century’ arriving for just over £500,000 from Brondby.
Fabian Barthez and Edwin van der Sar have also filled in the position, which has seen several long-serving keepers, nail down their places for lengthy periods.
Man United are a club with several legends but perhaps none more than at goalkeeper, but who breaks the top five as their most expensive of all time?
5- Tomasz Kuszczak
From: West Bromwich Albion
Fee: €4.3m
Spoiler alert, Tomasz Kuszczak comes into this list ahead of United greats Van Der Sar and Schmeichel which may be eyebrow raising for many, but it speaks to how transfer fees have inflated over the years.
The Polish international first joined the club on loan in a deal that became permanent in the summer of 2007, and he’d stay at Old Trafford for the next six years.
Kuszczak is perhaps best know for his red card against Portsmouth in the FA Cup in 2008, which led to Rio Ferdinand having to go in goal after the Pole had already replaced the injured Van Der Sar at halftime.
He never managed to secure a consistent place in the first team and his relationship with Ferguson soured before Kuszcazak eventually left the club when his contract expired in 2012.
Overall Kuzczak only appeard 32 times for United across his six years at Old Trafford and aspirations to be the club’s future number one never properly materialised.
=3- Anders Lindegaard
From: Aalesund
Fee: €5m
Anders Lindegaard joined United on a three-and-a-half year deal in November 2010, and came with the pedigree of winning the Danish and Norwegian goalkeeper of the year awards in the 2009-10 season.
Lindegaard’s United career was constantly hampered by injuries and the Danish international spent the vast majority of his career in the shadow of David De Gea.
Overall Lindegaard spent four seasons at Old Trafford making 19 appearances before leaving for West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer in the summer of 2015.
=3 – Altay Bayindir
From: Fenerbahce
Fee: €5m
Bayindir continues the trend of backup goalkeepers appearing in this list and will be the most familiar with recent fans of the club.
Bayindir has played five times in the Premier League for United and since joining in 2023, and was signed as a backup to Andre Onana.
A shot stopper by trade the Turkish goalkeeper isn’t as extravagant as the Cameroonian with his feet but has put in good performances standing in for Onana.
Infamously though, Bayindir has a weakness controlling his penalty area and can be found on when attacked with in swinging corners, as United found out against Tottenham Hotspur last season and Arsenal in the opening game of this season.
The current goalkeeping situation is yet to be resolved by Bayindir’s place looks less than secure currently.
2 – David De Gea
From: Atletico Madrid
Fee: €25m
David De Gea struggled in his first year at Old Trafford and the weight of his then British record fee for a goalkeeper seemed to be weighing heavily on his shoulders.
However, the Spaniard bounced back and was one of the Premier League’s best ever goalkeepers across his twelve year career at Old Trafford.
De Gea became known for his smart shot stopping and quick reflexes leaving fans in awe of some of the saves he would make.
The Spanish international played in largely subpar United sides and his shot stopping played a huge role in some of the teams results during the post-Alex Ferguson era.
De Gea’s eventual exit from the club was handled poorly but when returning to Old Trafford for Fiorentina in August 2025, De Gea was given a warm welcome and the Old Trafford send off that his yearsof service deserved.
Overall De Gea won one Premier League, one Europa League, one FA Cup, and two League Cups at Old Trafford as well as two Premier League Golden Glove awards and five places in the PFA Team of teh Year award and four Manchester United Players’ Player of Year awards.
1 – Andre Onana
From: Ajax
Fee: €50.2m
Andre Onana is one of United’s most controversial goalkeepers, regularly splitting the opinion of the United fanbase.
A great ball playing goalkeeper who has an unorthodox shot stopping technique makes for an interesting prospect, and Onana is a difficult player to gauge.
While prone to inevitable howlers, Onana has also produced some tremendous saves most notably last season against Crystal Palace.
In a period where United have struggled for consistency and fulfilling their potential Onana feels like he epitomises this squad.
Well known to former boss Ten Hag, Onana joined from Inter Milan where he won Serie A and made the Champions League final in 2022-23, and it still feels like the Cameroonian has more ability to show between the sticks at Old Trafford.
Onana’s future is currently unknown, but he’ll will always be an FA Cup with Manchester United and he may still have a future at the club yet.