Appointed Manchester United manager in May 2014, Louis van Gaal wasted no time in putting his own stamp of authority on the squad he inherited from David Moyes.
His first summer in charge saw him bring in a collection of new faces, including the big-money signings of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid and Luke Shaw from Southampton. United's hierarchy dived deep into their pockets to fund a summer spending spree, in the hope that Van Gaal's appointment would have the desired impact.
However, United finished fourth in the Premier League and failed to win a trophy in his maiden season in charge, resulting in another big recruitment drive the following summer. The 2015/16 campaign brought success in terms of winning a trophy, lifting the FA Cup, but the Reds failed to secure Champions League qualification, resulting in Van Gaal being sacked a few days after the win over Crystal Palace at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
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But what happened to the first-team signings that Van Gaal brought to Old Trafford during his tenure? Here, MEN Sport has taken a look at what they're up to now.
Ander Herrera - The first signing of the Van Gaal era and one of the more successful ones. He made a total of 189 appearances for the club, scoring 20 goals. He won four trophies during his United career, three of which were won under Jose Mourinho in 2016/17. He left the club in June 2019, joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Last month, he returned to former club Athletic Bilbao on a season-long loan deal, eight years after leaving for Old Trafford.
Luke Shaw - Aged just 18 at the time, he joined United for a fee in the region of £30million and initially found it difficult to adapt to life at Old Trafford. However, he showed signs of promise at the start of the 2015/16 season before being sidelined with a long-term injury, derailing his progress. However, he fought back from that problem and established himself as a key player from the 2018/19 campaign onwards. He is currently second in the pecking order behind summer signing Tyrell Malacia.
Marcos Rojo - One of many questionable signings United have made in recent years. He made 26 and 28 appearances, respectively, in his first two seasons at United, both of which were under Van Gaal, before making north of 40 outings under Jose Mourinho in 2016/17. That, however, marked his last meaningful run in the team and he was farmed out on loan to Estudiantes in January 2020. He finally left United on a permanent basis in February last year, joining Boca Juniors.
Angel Di Maria - Di Maria became United's club-record signing in August 2014 after sealing a £59.7million switch. He made an excellent start to life at Old Trafford, scoring three goals and grabbing six assists in his first ten Premier League appearances. However, it soon turned sour for the winger, with a hamstring injury meaning he never got back to his best. He left the club a year after his arrival, joining Paris Saint-Germain in August 2015. He remained in the French capital up until this summer, joining Juventus on a free transfer in July.
Daley Blind - Another of Van Gaal's more successful signings, Blind spent four years at Old Trafford before returning to Ajax in 2018. The versatile Dutchman, who made 141 appearances for the Reds, was arguably the best defender at the club during his time in M16, but lacked physicality and pace. Returning to Ajax more than four years ago, the now-32-year-old is still at the club and playing regularly.
Radamel Falcao - The last big-name signing of Van Gaal's first summer in charge, Falcao's arrival at Old Trafford on loan from Monaco got everyone licking their lips. He had made his name as a seasoned goalscorer at the likes of Atletico Madrid and Porto, but scored just four goals in 29 games for United, going down in history as one of their biggest flops of all-time. It did not put Chelsea off, though, as they signed him on loan the season after and he managed just one goal for them. After returning to Monaco and a spell at Galatasaray, he is now at Spanish side Rayo Vallecano and returned to Old Trafford with them in pre-season at the end of July.
Victor Valdes - United's only big-name addition of the 2015 January transfer window, Valdes was snapped up on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona the summer before. Despite all of his experience, he only made two appearances for the Reds, one of which was as a substitute. After a loan spell at Standard Liege in 2015/16, he left United permanently and joined Middlesbrough in July 2016. He retired from playing the following summer after the Riverside outfit were relegated.
Memphis Depay - A signing that promised so much and delivered so little. The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford from PSV Eindhoven in July 2015 and struggled to make a lasting impression, scoring just seven goals in 53 matches. He was sold by the Reds in January 2017, joining French giants Lyon. After four years in France, he moved to Barcelona in June last year on a free transfer. United were considering re-signing him last month, but nothing ever came to fruition, meaning he remains at the Camp Nou.
Matteo Darmian - The second of five July arrivals in the summer of 2015, the Italian made a promising start to his United career but quickly lost his way, resulting in him becoming nothing more than a squad player. The now-32-year-old made 92 appearances for the Reds and was sold to Parma in January 2019. Just over a year later, he joined Inter Milan, initially on loan, and joined them permanently last summer after helping them win the Serie A title in 2020/21.
Bastian Schweinsteiger - Arguably the headline addition of the 2015 summer window, the German, had he joined United a few years earlier, would have been an outstanding addition. Unfortunately for Van Gaal, he was 30 at the time and his best years had been and gone. He made 35 appearances for United before being granted an exit in March 2017, being allowed to join MLS outfit Chicago Fire. After making almost 100 appearances for them, he retired from football in October 2019.
Morgan Schneiderlin - Another midfielder recruited in July 2015, Schneiderlin, snapped up from Southampton, failed to have the desired impact, similarly to Depay. He had impressed on the South Coast and was an exciting signing. However, he made just 47 appearances for United. He was sold in January 2017, joining Everton and being reunited with former manager Ronald Koeman. He stayed at Goodison Park until he was sold to French outfit Nice in June 2020. He is still on their books.
Sergio Romero - As free signings go, Romero is one of the best any club could ever wish to make. He established himself as an excellent back-up option to David de Gea over a period of six years and finally left Old Trafford at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. He made 61 appearances in total, serving under three different managers. He joined Italian club Venezia in October last year and recently returned his native Argentina, joining Boca Juniors.
Anthony Martial - One of just two of Van Gaal's signings who is still at United. After an encouraging debut season at Old Trafford following his arrival from Monaco, scoring 18 goals and getting 11 assists, the Frenchman has blown hot and cold ever since. His form has been up and down, resulting in him spending time on loan at Sevilla last season. He was given a route back into the fold by Erik ten Hag during pre-season, impressing in Thailand and Australia, but he has made just one appearance so far this term because of injury issues.
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