Manchester United supporters have had to endure some big money flops over the previous few years, especially since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

The likes of Fred, Paul Pogba, Ángel Di María, and Harry Maguire all failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed on them following their arrival at Old Trafford.

Although rare, Fergie did have the odd transfer howler or two. Juan Sebastian Veron cost a staggering £28.1m in 2001, a British record at the time, yet he lasted just two years in Manchester before joining Chelsea.

Another player who cost a pretty penny, yet eventually failed to repay the club back for their heavy investment was Owen Hargreaves.

How much did Manchester United sign Owen Hargreaves for?

Ferguson signed the midfielder for a fee of £17m in the summer of 2007 as he looked to further assert United’s dominance, having claimed their first title in four years during the 2006/07 campaign.

Hargreaves discussed his move to United, saying: “A lot of teams came in for me, pretty much everyone.

“I was only ever leaving Bayern Munich for Man United and I remember Sir Alex said to me, ‘One of the reasons I signed you, is to help us win the Champions League, I think you can help us do that.

“And I said, ‘That’s why I’m here boss.’”

What happened to Owen Hargreaves?

The former Bayern Munich gem actually enjoyed a solid first season at the Red Devils, making 34 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice and grabbing two assists as he played an integral part in the club claiming a Premier League and Champions League double during 2007/08.

He even scored during the penalty shootout in the final in Moscow, slotting his effort past Petr Cech, and it looked as though he was only going to get better.

That summer, Hargreaves underwent treatment on a knee problem, yet this turned out to be more serious than first envisioned, and it required surgery, which practically ruled him out for the entire 2008/09 season, making just two appearances as United won their third straight title and finished runners-up on the Champions League to Barcelona.

The midfielder never really recovered from that setback, going on to play just twice more for the club before departing at the end of the 2010/11 season following the expiration of his contract.

Overall, he played only 39 times for the Old Trafford side and this works out at roughly £435k per game.

Ferguson even described the former England international as “one of the most disappointing signings of my career” and although seems a tad unfair given how important he was during his debut season, his overall impact the club definitely didn’t live up to the £17m fee they spent on him four years prior.

Hargreaves went on to join Manchester City in 2011, yet following just four matches for them, he retired and ended a career which saw him win league titles in England and Germany, while claiming two Champions League titles too.

Ferguson didn't make too many mistakes, but Hargreaves will surely go down as one.