Man Utd signed Owen, Valdes, Scholes and Cavani as free agents

Manchester United’s squad was stretched to the limit against Tottenham Hotspur, and the club may be tempted to consider signing free agents.

United are not the only club struggling with injuries as the final phase of the season approaches. Arsenal were forced to field Mikel Merino as a makeshift number nine against Leicester City on the weekend when the Spanish midfielder popped up with a brace.

However, while the Gunners’ problem centres around their frontline, United boss Ruben Amorim was forced to name a bench consisting of Victor Lindelof and eight academy prospects against Spurs on Sunday. Their 1-0 defeat to Spurs leaves United 15th in the Premier League table.

However, their injury list could force United to find creative ways to bolster their squad. Mirror Football looks back at some of Unted’s most audacious free transfers.

Michael Owen

Michael Owen shocked the football world by signing for United upon the expiry of his Newcastle contract in 2009. The former Liverpool hero had won the 2001 Ballon d’Or during his time on Merseyside but burnt bridges with plenty of fans by signing a two-year deal with their bitter rivals. Ferguson handing Owen the club's famous number seven rubbed further salt into the wound.

The then-29-year-old striker had struggled to recapture his best form since leaving Anfield and had suffered relegation at Newcastle the previous season. Yet, Owen still retained his goal-poaching instincts.

The ex-England forward scored a memorable 4-3 winner against Manchester City and also netted as United defeated Aston Villa in the 2010 League Cup final. Following his impressive debut season, Owen made enough appearances to earn a Premier League winner’s medal in 2011 but saw his playing time decline before leaving United in 2012. He scored 17 goals in 52 appearances for the club.

Victor Valdes

A decade ago, United made a statement signing by bringing in Barcelona icon Victor Valdes as backup to David De Gea. The goalkeeper had been without a club for several months as he recovered from a knee injury after leaving Barcelona, eventually penning an 18-month deal with United in January 2015.

Valdes won six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies with his boyhood club and knew United boss Lous van Gaal from his time at Camp Nou. Having completed the recovery from his knee injury at United, 32-year-old Valdes was happy to compete with De Gea and made his first team debut in May.

However, Valdes was later placed on the transfer list after it was reported that he had refused to play in a reserve game. The Spain international made just two appearances for the club before joining Standard Liege on loan in January 2016 and later signing for newly-promoted Middlesbrough on a free transfer.

Paul Scholes

One of the most remarkable signings of Sir Alex Ferguson's historic tenure as manager was bringing Paul Scholes out of retirement. The midfielder hung up his boots at the end of the 2010/11 season but made a surprise return, appearing as a substitute in an FA Cup win over Manchester City in January 2012.

Scholes’ return was announced just an hour before the Manchester derby as United continued to deal with an injury crisis, with Darren Fletcher and Tom Cleverley on the sidelines. Ferguson believed Scholes had retired too soon, and he was proven right as the midfielder made 21 appearances that term.

Scholes signed a contract extension and was part of the United squad that won the Premier League in Ferguson’s final season in charge before retiring for a second time.

Edinson Cavani

United signed former PSG icon Edinson Cavani on transfer deadline day in October 2020, a few months after leaving the French club. The then-33-year-old had become PSG’s all-time top scorer during his seven-year stint in Paris, scoring 200 goals in 301 appearances.

Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, Cavani was given the prestigious number seven and would have hoped to emulate his former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic's instant impact on the club a few years earlier. Cavani scored 17 goals in his debut season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side finished 2nd in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final on penalties.

Unfortunately for Cavani, who had extended his contract in May 2021, United failed to capitalise on that momentum as Solskjaer was replaced by interim boss Ralf Rangnick that December. The Uruguayan striker had given up his number seven shirt to a returning Cristiano Ronaldo and saw his playing time significantly reduced before leaving the club in the summer of 2022.