In August 1984, Manchester United spent £500,000 to take Strachan to Old Trafford. However, because Strachan had previously signed a pre-contract agreement with Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln, United paid £75,000 compensation to resolve the row – teammate Mark McGhee had also signed a contract with Hamburger SV on the understanding that Strachan would also be playing in Germany. Strachan opened the 1984–85 campaign with four goals in seven matches, though the "Red Devils" could only manage a fourth-place finish in the First Division. He featured at Wembley Stadium in the 1985 FA Cup Final, as United ran out 1–0 winners over Everton; his lung-bursting run off-the-ball helped Norman Whiteside to find the space for his extra-time winner.