Premier League Club have spent €733m euros since Scot's departure

As Manchester United prepare for their pre-season trip to the United States this summer, Jose Mourinho will have a 'gift' waiting for him, because the club have recently secured new 85 million euro signing Romelu Lukaku from Everton.

Only AC Milan, who have spent 129m euros, have spent more than the Red Devils this summer with Swedish defender Victor Lindelof also acquired from Benfica last month.

Heavy spending has been a regular convention by the Red Devils after the illustrious Sir Alex Ferguson era ended in 2013, although their current coach believes it is not necessarily a bad thing.

"Football and the market is crazy; an expensive signing now might be cheap in three years," said Mourinho.

"Breaking records is not a reason to be sad, it shows the dimension that the club is in."

However, it could be argued that the sheer amount of currency shelled out on players by United on in the last four years, is a way of filling the large void left by the club's most successful manager.

Since the Scotsman's departure, United have spent 733m euros on 21 footballers as they look to chase the pace the legendary coach set with 38 titles that included 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups, amongst others, in nearly 27 years at Old Trafford.

The 75-year-old is an icon for the ages that placed United at the top of English and world football, who's march has led them to break the market.

In the last four years, no team in England or in Europe has invested as much money; rivals Manchester City (721m euros), Chelsea (491m euros), Juventus (482m euros) and PSG (462m euros) follow behind.

During the campaigns of 1986 and 2013, United spent 790m euros on new recruits, whilst seasons between 2013 and 2017 they have invested a colossal 733m euros.

Four of those include Paul Pogba (105m euros), Romelu Lukaku (85m euros), Angel Di Maria (75m euros) and Anthony Martial (60m euros) who stand as the club's most expensive signings, all arriving in the last five campaigns.

Without the hugely successful former chief executive David Gill and the arrival of Ed Woodward, alongside new coaches, the Red Devils have gambled on splashing a monumental amount of money.

In 2013/14, with David Moyes, they bought in Juan Mata (45m euros) and Marouane Fellaini (32m euros).

After the departure of the Scot, Louis Van Gaal arrived to spend 357m euros in two seasons, landing Di Maria (75m euros), Luke Shaw (37.5m euros), Ander Herrera (36m euros), Marcos Rojo (20m euros), Daley Blind (17.5m euros) and Radamel Falcao (loaned) in 2014/15.

As for 2015/16, he signed Anthony Martial (60m euros), Morgan Schneiderlin (35m euros), Memphis Depay (34m), Matteo Darmian (18m euros) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (9m euros), a list of players who for the most part, saw limited minutes before departing.

And now with the tenure of the Portuguese coach, United last year invested 185m euros on a returning Pogba (105m euros), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (42m euros), Eric Bailly (38m euros) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (free).

This summer, it currently stands at 120m euros combined with Lukaku (85m euros) and Lindelof respectively, amounting to 305m euros in just over a year.

"Ed Woodward has known what I want since March," said an annoyed Mourinho recently, disappointed by the delay to signings, according to the English press.

Looking ahead, the former Real Madrid coach is eyeing moves for James Rodriguez, Nemanja Matic and Inter's Ivan Perisic, with spending - if it happens - that would trigger the club to invest in a larger total figure in the post-Ferguson era than in the quarter of a century passed by the Scottish manager at the Theatre of Dreams.

In those four years, United have missed out on the Champions League twice and triumphed to only five titles (two Community Shields, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one Europa League).

Three of those titles mentioned arrived last season but nonetheless, the most successful club in England do not stop spending, as the market continues to skyrocket due to the financial muscle of the Premier League, led by United..