Speaking in March last year, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was open about his disdain for the signings that the new INEOS regime had "inherited" at Manchester United.

Among those name-checked by the Billionaire businessman were Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro, Antony and Jadon Sancho, all of whom are no longer part of the first-team squad at Old Trafford.

The signing of Sancho, in particular, is one that Ratcliffe and co will be keen to avoid, the Englishman signed to much fanfare back in 2021, yet ultimately left for nothing this summer.

High expectations were followed by minimal impact, with Sancho ultimately such a disappointment in a United shirt. He's not been the only one, either.

Why Sancho is Man Utd's worst signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era

Bruno Fernandes is routinely, and rightly, lauded as by far the best addition since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement 13 years ago, but the question as to who has been the worst investment is a little more complex.

That is because there have been so many poor signings made, the likes of Onana, Hojlund and Antony among them, as too are notable figures of the past, such as Angel Di Maria or Romelu Lukaku.

For most of those, United did at least rake in a fee in the end, with Sancho's free transfer exit standing out as a particularly dire piece of business, considering the initial £73m investment.

That price tag was even seen as a coup at the time, after being quoted upwards of £120m a year earlier, with the fleet-footed winger having been such a breakout sensation back at Borussia Dortmund.

He looked like the coming force in European football, a genuine superstar in the making. The 2019/20 season notably saw him register 33 goals and assists in the Bundesliga.

Impacted by an ear infection at the start of his Old Trafford stay, however, the now 26-year-old just never simply got going back in English football, his only true standout moment having been his goal against Liverpool in August 2022.

A year later, he was exiled by Erik ten Hag following a public spat, spending the final two-and-a-half seasons of his United career out on loan, reaching three different European finals in that time.

The Red Devils just couldn't shift him due to his high wages and the price tag required, hence the eventual exit on a free. It's a situation the new regime need to avoid.

Why Man Utd signing is heading for a Sancho repeat

Old Trafford has been a graveyard for high-profile talents like Sancho over the last decade or so, with a drop in form and reputation often sparking a decline at international level too.

In Sancho's case, the one-time Manchester City man had been part of England's Euro 2020 squad, yet having signed for United in 2021, he has only made one further appearance to date for his country.

At one stage, it looked like the emerging wonderkid would be a world-beater, both for club and country, but alas, he's now in a situation where a Three Lions call-up is no longer even a consideration, particularly as he remains without a team.

It's a situation which compatriot Mason Mount might find himself in before too long, the 27-year-old another to have seen his stock plummet since joining the Red Devils back in 2023.

Like Sancho, the former England youth star had been part of Gareth Southgate's Euro 2020 group, even starting in the showpiece against Italy, while having also played a prominent role at the Qatar World Cup 18 months later.

Following an injury-hit final year at Chelsea, Mount ultimately signed for United for a total fee of around £60m, a sizeable chunk considering he only had 12 months left on his contract at the time.

To say the move has backfired for all parties would be an understatement, the playmaker's woes highlighted by the fact that his last international outing came way back in 2022.

A beloved figure by a string of elite managers, notably Southgate, Thomas Tuchel and Frank Lampard, Mount had shown more than enough to be encouraged by previously, winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, while ending the 2021/22 campaign in double figures for both goals and assists.

And yet, injury has been the tale of his time at Old Trafford, while there's been an ongoing confusion over what his best role actually is, an issue that also plagued Sancho, the mercurial winger signed to play on the right yet ultimately looking better on the left.

In 72 games for the club, United's number seven has scored just seven and registered a measly two assists, his brightest performance having been his 30-minute cameo against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League.

Carrick had appeared ready to hand him another chance this season, yet those hopes were dashed by yet another injury setback, following an initially encouraging start to pre-season.

Still with just under two years left on his deal, it's difficult to see a way back for Mount in a United shirt, nor does it appear likely to be able to shift him, due to his current salary.

As per The Athletic, Mount earned £200k-per-week in his first season at the club, with that figure dropping to £150k-per-week across 2024/25 and 2025/26 due to the lack of Champions League action.

Even with that cut, he's still earned a total salary of around £36m, which, when added to the £60m spent on him, makes for pretty grim reading from a financial perspective.

No wonder Ratcliffe was so visibly irritated by what he'd 'inherited'.