After clinching consecutive Premier League titles in 1996 and 1997, one can only imagine the frustration Manchester United experienced in 1998 when they missed out on a third straight title by just one point. United had claimed four of the first five Premier League titles, securing two before narrowly losing the 1995 championship to Blackburn Rovers. The Lancashire team, managed by Sir Kenny Dalglish at the time, finished ahead of United by a single point. The situation was identical when Arsenal edged out United for the top spot in 1998. READ MORE: I left City because I saw no future there – now I would fit perfectly with United. READ MORE: I departed from United prematurely and have since regretted it – I now manage a store for a living. United finished the 1997/98 season with only the Community Shield as their trophy. They were eliminated from the FA Cup in the fifth round, the League Cup in the third round, and the Champions League in the quarter-finals. This led Manchester United to devise a strategy over the summer of 1998 to reclaim the Premier League title and enhance their presence in Europe. Sir Alex Ferguson concluded that easing the budget for transfers would benefit his team. The first major signing of the summer was Jaap Stam, who joined from PSV Eindhoven to bolster the defense, followed by Trinidad and Tobago international Dwight Yorke’s arrival from Aston Villa. United acquired the striker for over £12.5 million just two days before their second Premier League match of the season. Yorke had proven to be one of the league’s most dependable goal-scorers, netting 46 goals in the three previous Premier League seasons before joining Old Trafford. He scored 20,023 goals each in the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons.
