Success or Failure? - United's last 11 January signings

While David Moyes has stressed the need for new signings that can go straight into hisUnited first-team, January is a difficult time to buy for many reasons.

And, while the transfer window might open at midnight on December 31, now is not the time to panic as United’s last 11 buys at this time of year suggest.

Here, Steven Sutcliffe takes a look at United's recent forays into the mid-season market.

1. Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace £15million (January, 2013) Failure

Bag of tricks wide-man with pace to burn has hardly kicked a ball in anger since joining the Reds. Initially loaned back to Crystal Palace last term, the England winger showed his potential by helping the Eagles into the big time and starring for David Moyes’ side in pre-season. But he mysteriously has yet to be given a prolonged opportunity to stake his claim.

With Antonio Valencia, man of the moment Adnan Januzaj, Ashley Young, Nani and even Shinji Kagawa ahead of him in the pecking order for a position out wide – the murmurings coming out of Old Trafford are that Zaha will be sent out on loan until the end of the season.

Status: Still at United (for now)

2. Anders Lindegaard from Aalesund  £3.5million (January, 2011) – Success

Reliable Danish international keeper originally signed as competition for David De Gea but is now firmly the back-up. With the Spaniard having grown in stature after early wobbles to become arguably one of the best around, Lindegaard finds himself in the same position as Raimond van der Gouw in the mid 1990s. Likely to always get games in the cup competitions but will have to move on if he wants to rid the tag of understudy and become a No.1.

Status: Still at United.

3. Ritchie De Laet from Stoke nominal fee (January, 2009) – Failure

An experimental signing from Stoke for a nominal fee that was performance based. Nice guy Belgian defender had plenty of raw speed but needed more matches to polish the technical aspects of his game. Reserve team player of the year in 2009-10 who went on to make five appearances for the Reds. De Laet was sent out on loan to Sheffield United, Preston, Portsmouth and Norwich before finally ending up at Leicester City.

Status: Now a regular with the Foxes and aiming to help them regain top flight status after a 10-year absence.

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Gallery: United's January signings

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4. Zoran Tosic from Partizan Belgrade £7 million (January, 2009) – Failure

The skilful Serbian’s United career amounted to five substitute appearances after joining for a reported £7 million in 2009. Showed glimpses of his talent but was frustrated by a lack of opportunities and headed out on loan to Cologne in 2010 where he scored seven goals in as many games. Elected to move on to CSKA Moscow that year and, while the Reds recouped their fee, the player later admitted he regretted leaving Old Trafford.

Status: Still at CSKA and played in both games against City in this season’s Champions League group stages, scoring in Moscow.

5. Manucho from Petro Atletico (January, 2008) - Failure

Signed from Angolan side Petro Atletico after a three-week trial in the belief that he had the potential to become the next big African import to the Premier League. However, it quickly became apparent that judgement was wide of the mark. Made his United debut as an 84th-minute substitute replacing Ryan Giggs in a 3-1 League Cup victory over Middlesbrough. Just two further sub appearances followed before he was sent out on loan to Hull City and Panathinaikos.

Status: Manucho has scored one goal this season for current club Real Valladolid in La Liga.

6. Henrik Larsson on-loan from Helsingborg (January 2007) - Success

The man that got away - well until 2007 when Sir Alex Ferguson finally signed the wily Swedish forward on-loan from Helsignborgs.

As Ferguson admitted in his recent book: "His three goals for United were no measure of his contribution", with his superb movement and nous proving a boost to United’s title charge that year.

The biggest regret has to be that he didn’t arrive in M16 earlier as highlighted by his record of 241 goals in 314 appearances when he was at the peak of his powers at Celtic.

Status: Now managing Falkenbergs FF in his homeland.

7. Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow £7 million (January 2006)  - Success

United’s club captain endured a wobbly start to life at Old Trafford but quickly acclimatised to the English game to become the rock at the heart of Sir Alex Ferguson’s team. The influential Serbian’s biggest asset is his aerial ability and willingness to put his body on the line for the cause. Now in his thirties, injuries have started to mount up, though he still remains a key figure as shown last term when his return for the latter half of the campaign proved pivotal in the title run-in.

Status: Still a key player for the Reds.

8. Patrice Evra from Monaco £5.5 million (January 2006) – Success

Signed at the same time as Vidic and often the Serbian's deputy as skipper - Evra was famously substituted at half-time on his debut after enduring a torrid time against City in a game which the Reds lost 3-1. Told by Sir Alex Ferguson to "watch and learn about English football" the Frenchman bounced back to displace fans favourite Gabriel Heinze as the club’s first choice left-back and has been a mainstay ever since.

Loves to roam forward, at times becoming an auxiliary left-winger but his last couple of years have been blighted by the tendency to dive into tackles and go AWOL from defensive duties. His place is likely to be put under pressure if Moyes, as expected, moves for a full-back in January.

9. Dong Fangzhuo from Shide £500,000 (January 2004) - Failure

Would surely feature in the same bracket as David Bellion, Bebe, Gabriel Obertan, Manucho, Mame Biram Diouf et al if fans were to vote for the Reds' most ineffective signing of the 21st century.

Made his United debut at Stamford Bridge partnering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a makeshift line-up that was given a guard of honour by Chelsea and became only the second ever Chinese player to feature in the Champions League the following season when he replaced Wayne Rooney in a 1-1 draw at Roma.

Status: Was released in 2008 and after leading a slightly nomadic existence, has now settled at Chinese outfit Hunan Billows.

10. Louis Saha from Fulham £12.82 million (January, 2004) - Success

Earned his move to United after terrorising the Reds' rearguard during Fulham’s 3-1 victory at Old Trafford early in the 2003-04 campaign.

The French forward had a strike rate of a goal virtually every three games (2.95) during his time at club and was brought to the fore after Ferguson’s well publicised spat with Ruud van Nistelrooy left the Dutchman marginalised and then sold. Won two Premier League titles and a League Cup in his four-and-a-half years as a Red but was constantly beset by injury problems and was perhaps unfairly daubed with the label of being "made of glass" by frustrated supporters.

Status: Saha retired from football at the end of last season.

11. Diego Forlan from Independiente £7.5 million (22 Jan, 2002) - Failure

Two goals at Anfield in December 2002 ensured cult hero status for the Uruguayan and started the terrace chant of "He comes from Uruguay, He made the Scousers cry". However, he regularly struggled to hit a barn door when in Red and, with just 17 goals from 98 appearances, it was no surprise when Forlan was sold to Villarreal in 2004.

Found his shooting boots at El Madrigal, scoring 25 goals and becoming the top scorer in La Liga in his maiden season with The Yellow Submarine. Was equally as prolific at Atletico Madrid, before moving on for a solitary year at Inter Milan.

Status: Now at Brazilian club Internacional.