Ferdinand's eye-catching arrival in 2002 was one of six times United have broken the British transfer record but four years later, Vidic's January 2006 signing was somewhat under the radar and inexpensive by comparison.
By the time the Serbian left Old Trafford for Inter Milan in the summer of 2014, the reported £7million transfer fee paid to Spartak Moscow for his services looked very much like a bargain, after he'd helped the club to win five Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup and three League Cups.
Here we look at five other signings since 2005 who've provided similar value to Vidic.