{"id":1135469,"date":"2021-03-26T16:00:58","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T16:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1135469"},"modified":"2021-03-26T16:14:55","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T16:14:55","slug":"nearly-joined-man-utd-transfer-targets-combined-line-up-hazard-kante","status":"publish","type":"cult-corner","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/cult-corner\/nearly-joined-man-utd-transfer-targets-combined-line-up-hazard-kante\/","title":{"rendered":"A combined XI of active players who nearly joined Manchester United"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many professional footballers, Manchester United represent the daddy of career moves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So spare a thought for the players included in this combined XI (although, it must be said, things worked out pretty well for most of them).<\/p>\n

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What follows is an assortment of household names who, for one reason or another, witnessed nothing come of plans to join the most successful club in Premier League history.<\/p>\n

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Age: <\/strong>34
\nCurrent club: <\/strong>Bayern Munich<\/p>\n

Back in 2011 when Edwin van der Sar announced his impending retirement, United’s search for a new number one goalkeeper began. There were two names on the list, David de Gea, favoured by goalkeeper coach Eric Steele and Sir Alex Ferguson’s choice, Manuel Neuer.<\/p>\n

De Gea eventually signed and Sir Alex later revealed he was persuaded by Steele and watching the Spaniard play one match.<\/p>\n

\u201cEric and I went out to watch him (De Gea) against Valencia away, and the things he’d been speaking about – his agility, his confidence, his speed – were evident,” he said in 2016.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Eric had been building a relationship with his parents, and was so adamant, that I had to trust him – and I’m glad I did, because he was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right-back: Thomas Meunier<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Age: <\/strong>29
\nCurrent club:\u00a0<\/strong>Borussia Dortmund<\/p>\n

In the summer of 2019, United lost Antonio Valencia when the Ecuadorean’s contract expired and Aaron Wan-Bissaka was signed to replace him. But they were also being linked with PSG defender (and United fan) Thomas Meunier, who had previously described the Red Devils has “the real reference in the world of football”.<\/p>\n

And although Meunier confirmed there was interest in him, the offers made were not good enough for himself or PSG.<\/p>\n

“It was an intense period, with a lot of interest and discussion,” Meunier told RTBF<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I could have left but it was not done because there was nothing that suited the club or myself. Nothing was 100 per cent for it to work.”<\/p>\n

Centre-back: Raphael Varane<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Age: <\/strong>27
\nCurrent club: <\/strong>Real Madrid<\/p>\n

When Jose Mourinho took charge of Manchester United in 2016, he knew he had a job on his hands. One of his key plans was to tighten up the defence, and he had hoped to do so by signing Raphael Varane.<\/p>\n

Mourinho had previously signed Varane for Real Madrid in 2011 and hoped – in vain, ultimately – the Frenchman would join him once more.<\/p>\n

“At the moment the club [Madrid] and I are in sync and I had no questions to ask,” Varane recalled on why he turned down United.<\/p>\n

“I always said that I felt good in Madrid. It is not easy to say no to Jose Mourinho, but you have to weigh the pros and cons. We are men, we have to make decisions and that’s how it is.”<\/p>\n

Centre-back: Sergio Ramos<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Age: <\/strong>34
\nCurrent club: <\/strong>Real Madrid<\/p>\n

A year prior to United’s interest in Varane, they had looked to persuade his Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos to make the move from the Santiago Bernabeu to Old Trafford.<\/p>\n

It was a period when Ramos’ future at Madrid was in serious doubt after contract talks stalled and Manchester United reportedly made a bid for close to \u00a329m.<\/p>\n

And although Ramos did stay in Madrid, the Spaniard later revealed he had genuinely thought about leaving.<\/p>\n

“At one point I did think about making a change,” he said. “But at the end of the day my priority has always been Real Madrid and I thought about a change for other reasons.<\/p>\n

“But all of those problems were resolved and everyone’s happy, but it wasn’t an economic issue like some people made out.”<\/p>\n

Left-back: Saul<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Age: <\/strong>26
\nCurrent club: <\/strong>Atletico Madrid<\/p>\n

Saul has been somewhat of a utility man for Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, including playing at left-back, which is what brings him into that position for this team.<\/p>\n

But in 2015, Manchester United were offered the chance to sign Saul, then a 20-year-old midfielder, but turned it down. Instead they recruited Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger.<\/p>\n

Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live in 2018, journalist Guillem Balague said: “This is a man that as an 18-year-old was offered to Everton and they said no. As a 20-year-old he was offered to Manchester United and Manchester United said no.”<\/p>\n


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