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Louis van Gaal made his mark on Manchester United during his two years at the club, overseeing a massive overhaul of the playing team.
After joining United in 2014, Van Gaal spent over £ 250m on new signings and also wasn’t afraid to get rid of some big names at Old Trafford.
We took a look at the 19 players he sold as a United manager to see how they fared afterwards. Note: We have not included players who have left free transfers.
Alexander Buttner
Buttner made just 13 Premier League appearances in two years at United and was immediately deemed in excess of Van Gaal’s requirements.
The left-back has been on a world tour since leaving Old Trafford, enjoying spells in Russia, Belgium and the Netherlands.
After being released by Vitesse Arnhem in 2019, he moved to Massachusetts to play for New England Revolution Major League Soccer.
Patrice Evra
Unlike many players on this list, Evra was successful after United, winning two Serie A titles with Juventus and reaching the Champions League final in 2015.
However, he was also released from Marseille for kicking a fan and spent an unforgettable three months at West Ham before hanging up his boots.
The 39-year-old can now be found bravely sitting between Roy Keane and Graeme Souness in the Sky Sports studio.
READ: How Patrice Evra succeeded Gary Neville as the hated hero of Man Utd
Baby
One of United’s strangest signings, Bebe made just seven appearances for the club before joining Benfica on a permanent contract in 2014.
“I remember I was going to a United game with the youth team, and my agent called me and told me I was sold to Benfica, “Bebe told Goal in 2018.” It was the best time of my life.
“I am a ‘Benfiquista’, it was a dream to play there because all my friends and family have supported Benfica. I didn’t sleep that day! I spent the whole day awake. “
However, he has only made six appearances for the club and now plays in the Spanish second tier with Rayo Vallecano.
READ: Remembering when Sir Alex Ferguson broke his own rules to hire Bebé
Shinji Kagawa
After failing to live up to expectations during his two years at Old Trafford, Kagawa returned to the former Borussia Dortmund club in 2014.
He made 145 more appearances during his second stint in Germany before joining Real Zaragoza in Liga 2 in 2019.
READ: An ode to Shinji Kagawa to Man Utd and one of the quietest triplets ever
Tom Lawrence
Lawrence made his only United appearance during Ryan Giggs’ spell as manager and signed for Leicester City just a few weeks later.
The Wales international didn’t do much with the Foxes, but has since carved out a decent league career with Derby County.
Danny Welbeck
Despite being a popular figure at Old Trafford, Welbeck was sent to Arsenal rivals in 2014.
Unfortunate luck with injuries means the striker endured a few frustrating years, which led to his release by the Gunners in 2019.
After scoring three goals in 20 appearances for Watford, he joined Brighton on a free transfer in 2020.
Michael Keane
Keane left United for Burnley in January 2015, where the fine performances earned him £ 25m at Everton.
The 27-year-old has made more than 150 Premier League appearances and 12 appearances for England.
Marnick Vermijl
Vermijl made two first-team appearances for United before entering the league with Sheffield Wednesday and Preston.
Now he is at Thes Sport Tessenderlo, a Belgian third division team. No, we’ve never heard of it.
READ: Where are they now? Manchester United XI beaten by MK Dons
Wilfried Zaha
Sir Alex Ferguson’s latest signing at United, Zaha has never had a chance to shine under David Moyes or Van Gaal.
The Ivory Coast international was sold back to the Palace for a fraction of what they bought him for, and has since established himself as one of the Premier League’s best wide forwards.
Angelo Henriquez
Despite being a highly regarded talent, Henriquez hasn’t made a single first-team appearance for United.
The striker went to Dinamo Zagreb, Atlas and then to the Universidad de Chile after a couple of loan periods. While not exactly the highest level of football, he has won two Croatian First Football League titles and two Croatian Football Cups.
dwarfs
After seven years at United, in which he recorded 230 appearances and 114 goals, Nani was finally cleared to leave in 2015, winning the European Championship with Portugal just a year later.
Of the five teams he has played for since his departure, the winger has achieved the most success at his old Sporting Lisbon football pitch, winning two Taca de Portugal trophies and a Taca da Liga.
READ: Nani, Manchester United and the unfair representation of a “frustrating” talent
Robin van Persie
The Dutchman’s departure from Old Trafford signaled him a lot towards the end of his career at 32.
Van Persie went to Fenerbahce, then ended his career at Feyenoord, where he started it. There was still time to add to his trophy cabinet, winning the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruyff Trophy.
READ: Robin van Persie: Would I have joined Man Utd if I had known that Fergie was retiring?
Reece James
Not everyone moves to exotic clubs when they leave Man United and James has entered the Football League.
He first joined Wigan Athletic, before moving on to Sunderland and Doncaster Rovers, where he established himself on the team.
Rafael
One of the twins who managed to make his impact under Ferguson, was sold to Lyon in 2015, making 139 appearances for the French team.
He moved to Istanbul Basaksehir in 2020, in time to play the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win against the Red Devils in the Champions League.
READ: A tribute to Rafael, an incarnation of Man Utd’s Sir Alex Ferguson era
Angel Di Maria
The Argentine international was a flop at Old Trafford, but hasn’t been doing too badly at Paris Saint-Germain for five years.
He has won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles available, four Trophee de Champions and three Coupe de France, as well as making it to the 2020 Champions League final.
Jonny Evans
Despite impressing under Sir Alex Ferguson, Evans only made 17 appearances for Van Gaal before leaving the club in 2015.
While he doesn’t wear a red shirt, he continued to be a respected name, impressing both West Brom and Leicester City.
Javier Hernandez
The Mexican international was beloved at United, being an effective super sub capable of hitting key goals, but has struggled to find that long-term relationship with a club since leaving.
Chicharito is now in his fourth club since leaving Old Trafford in 2015, having excelled at Bayer Leverkusen, battled for playing time at West Ham United, then playing for Sevilla and now for LA Galaxy.
READ: Iconic Debuts: Javier Hernandez’s Community Shield Magic Against Chelsea
Ben Pearson
Having played for England all the way to the U20 level, Pearson has never managed to make the leap at United as he hasn’t made a single first-team appearance for the club.
After two loan periods at Barnsley, he was sold to Preston in 2016, where he has remained ever since, making over 150 appearances.
Liam Grimshaw
The defender looks more like one from Coronation Street than Old Trafford.
Like Pearson, he was allowed to join Preston, but Grimshaw fought for playing time at Deepdale and joined Motherwell in 2017, where he made over 100 appearances.
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