Sir Alex Ferguson was the reason a number of top players joined Manchester United but there were some who rejected the opportunity to work under the Scotsman
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim faces the tough task of convincing players to join the club in the summer transfer window with the knowledge they may not have the pull of their rivals.
United are set to record their worst-ever Premier League finish this season and face the prospect of playing without any European football next term.
Should the club fail to win the Europa League, Amorim’s hands will be somewhat tied in the market. It’s expected a number of targets will snub a move to Old Trafford, something that hasn’t been the norm in recent years.
However, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful tenure at United, most players wanted to join the project. But even when they were at the pinnacle of European football, some did say no to the Scot.
Here, MEN Sport has taken a closer look at five players who rejected the advances of Ferguson. First up on the list is former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale.
Like most of the Premier League, Ferguson was aware of the talent Bale possessed as he developed at Southampton. The Welshman had all the makings of Ryan Giggs’ successor.
Even when United approached the forward, Bale could see the pros of joining. But, he made the courageous decision to reject a switch to Old Trafford.
“United would have been the easiest decision,” he told Airwayz. “They were winning trophies, had the best players and the best manager.
“At that age, a lot of players would go for the money and would want to go to a bigger club. But I was playing, developing and learning.
“It was an important part of my development to keep playing first-team football because you can’t replicate that.” Ultimately he chose to join Spurs and Ferguson probably did not have too big an issue with the winger’s thought process.
However, the Patrick Kluivert saga was a different tale entirely. In 1998, the centre-forward had just enjoyed a good season with AC Milan and was beginning to weigh up his next move.
Ferguson believed that the Dutchman would join for £9m but learned shortly thereafter that Kluivert wished to remain in Milan for another 12 months. It is fair to say this decision did not go down well in Manchester.
“It won’t be the last time this kind of thing happens but players we really want we usually get,” a seething Ferguson told reporters. “We were led to believe he wanted to speak to us, but you know what agents are like.
“Maybe he doesn’t know how big a club Manchester United is.” Ferguson’s mood was not brightened when a few weeks after those comments Kluivert joined Barcelona where he became a legend.
Kluivert was not the only AC Milan star Ferguson had attempted to purchase. Paolo Maldini was one of the greatest defenders of his generation so it comes as no surprise that United wanted to bring him to the Premier League.
Unfortunately for Ferguson, his interest in the Milan legend was short-lived. Recalling in his autobiography, Ferguson wrote: “Maldini was an outstanding player. I loved him.
“I approached his father once, and the look he gave me… I knew never to go back to him.”
A well-known transfer snub that played out came in 2005 with John Obi Mikel. The midfielder had caught the attention of Ferguson while playing in Norway and a deal worth £4m was agreed.
Mikel later donned a United shirt at a press conference, expressing his delight at signing for the club. However, the Nigerian ended up at Chelsea after it was claimed they had agreed a deal with Mikel’s agent.
The midfielder went on to claim he had been pressured into signing for United, stating his intention to sign for Chelsea. The Blues paid £4m to Lyn Oslo and offered up to £12m to United to buy him out of his contract.
One legend of the game that made it a lot closer to joining the club was Ronaldinho. David Beckham was leaving for Real Madrid and United were on the lookout for a new star winger.
The PSG man has admitted he was on his way before one fatal phone call scuppered the deal. “It almost happened with United,” he told FourFourTwo.
“It was a matter of 48 hours, but Sandro Rosell had told me way before I got the offer: ‘If I become Barca president, will you come?’ I said yes.
“It was only a matter of details with United when Rosell called to say he was going to win the elections there. And I had promised to him that I’d play for Barca… It was a quick negotiation.
“I told the English I had chosen Barca. It was the right choice. Brazilians have always loved Barca. We have a history there.
“Off the pitch, it is like nowhere else in Europe, so we are always happy playing there. I miss Barcelona a lot. I had five fantastic seasons there, at a club that likes strikers and talented players.”