Who was United’s last signing from Wolves?

Who was United’s last signing from Wolves?

By our reckoning, it is over 50 years since Manchester United last signed a senior player from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Matheus Cunha is poised to complete his proposed move from Molineux in the near future, with only his visa and registration required to finalise the switch to Old Trafford.

While some players have moved in the opposite direction, such as Darren Ferguson and Denis Irwin, the Reds have not recruited for the first team from the Black Country side for some time, over a half a century to be precise, according to our research.

However, Daniel Nardiello did leave Wolves’ youth ranks for our Academy in 1999.

On transfer-deadline day in March 1974, Jim McCalliog looked set to join Aston Villa, with the Midlanders keen to replace another Scotland international, in the shape of Bruce Rioch.

However, United boss Tommy Docherty made a decisive late swoop for the 27-year-old, as he hoped to fend off the impending threat of relegation from the top flight.

A £60,000 deal was agreed, financed in part by the sale of Ray O’Brien to Notts County, and McCalliog headed north, much to Villa’s frustration.

“Tommy Docherty gave me my first chance as a professional with Chelsea,” said the new signing. “I will not regret it, even if Manchester United go down, they are a great club.”

It proved to the biggest transfer on a day that saw Bobby Moore switch to Fulham and Stuart Pearson’s move from Hull City to Manchester City collapse, which would later open the door for ‘Pancho’ to join United instead, and help fire the Reds to promotion in the following season.

McCalliog contributed four goals in a three-game spell, even if it proved in vain as the Reds were relegated, and scored three times in 20 Division Two appearances, before being sold to Southampton before the campaign was out.

A year later, in 1976, he played against Docherty’s men for the Saints in the FA Cup final and claimed the assist for Bobby Stokes’s winner.

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