Ed Woodward signed a few players during his reign as executive vice-chairman of Manchester United who went on to underdeliver, and one name stands out among others for leaving fans underwhelmed
Ed Woodward claimed Bastian Schweinsteiger woud strike fear into rivals(Image: John Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Ed Woodward thought that Manchester United’s 2015 signing of Bastian Schweinsteiger would “send shivers down the spines of rivals,” only for the star to disappoint in spectacular fashion.
Woodward joined Old Trafford’s board of directors as executive vice-chairman in 2012, before taking over David Gill’s CEO position the following year. Whilst the now 53-year-old sought to make an immediate impact regarding new additions to the Red Devils squad, numerous transfers completely failed to deliver.
For example, Woodward oversaw Paul Pogba’s return to United from Juventus in August 2016 in a massive deal. Naturally, Pogba progressed through United’s youth academy in 2011 before moving to the Serie A giants for a reported £1.5million the following year.
Yet four years later, recognising their mistake, the Red Devils hierarchy chose to bring him back to Old Trafford for a then-world record sum of £89m. Nevertheless, Pogba subsequently returned to Juventus again in 2022 on a free transfer, with United unable to recoup even a small portion of the fee they had paid to bring their academy product back to the north west of England six years prior.
Pogba represented just one of numerous costly acquisitions during Woodward’s tenure at the club that failed to meet expectations. Woodward also presided over Schweinsteiger’s arrival from Bayern Munich in a £6.5m deal back in 2015, a transfer which appeared excellent value for the 13-time Premier League champions on paper.
After coming through the Bavarian youth academy in 2002, Schweinsteiger dedicated 13 years to Bayern, securing eight Bundesliga crowns, nine domestic trophies and a Champions League. He also earned 121 caps for Germany and claimed the 2014 World Cup, before taking on the captain’s armband following Philipp Lahm’s international retirement.
Given his vast experience at elite level, Woodward went so far as to suggest that Schweinsteiger would strike fear into opponents when they spotted the midfield genius on the team-sheet shortly after his arrival in England. He was quoted as saying at the time (via the Mirror): “It’s fantastic to see a player like that come to Manchester United.
Bastian Schweinsteiger failed to find his footing with Manchester United(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“He’s our first ever German, and what a German – he’s won absolutely everything and comes here with fantastic experience. When people see Bastian on the team sheet, that’s going to send some shivers down the spine.”
The truth is, however, that Woodward may have placed unrealistic expectations on the ageing star, considering how his spell with the Premier League giants actually unfolded. Throughout his debut campaign with United, Schweinsteiger was ruled out for more than 130 days due to injury.
When Jose Mourinho assumed control of the club from Louis van Gaal in spring 2016, he made it abundantly clear that Schweinsteiger had no future in his plans, relegating the player to train with the U23 squad in a decision he faced severe backlash for and has since acknowledged was a major error.
Ed Woodward was quick to praise Bastian Schweinsteiger(Image: Getty Images)
During his two-year tenure with Manchester United, Schweinsteiger made only 35 appearances before transferring to Major League Soccer team Chicago Fire in 2017. There, he netted eight goals and provided 11 assists in 92 matches before hanging up his boots in 2019.
On the other hand, Woodward announced his resignation from Manchester United in 2021. He officially left the club on February 1, 2022, but has since returned to the football scene, having been named a trustee for the Bloomsbury Football Foundation last year.
United fans will be hoping their recruits this summer don’t follow down a similar disappointing path, but all the signs look positive for what Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo can deliver at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim.
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