http://www.squawka.com/news/10-times-man-utd-have-seen-transfer-deals-hijacked-since-2000/959387
I thought that maybe those who got tired of the Morata saga can come relief themselves with some of our transfer feck ups. I think for most the major heartbreak was the Ronaldinho deal. The hazard deal was disappointing at the time not heart breaking but you have to think that if we had him we would be in a better position right now. I also didn't know that we tried to sign Ballack but turned us down because he thought he would win ucl with Chelsea
10 times Man Utd have seen transfer deals hijacked since 2000
Manchester United have already secured one signing this summer and are close to getting a few more.
They’re likely to get them, too. One year into José Mourinho’s reign Manchester United are a sleek transfer machine. They identify the players they want, and go get them.They may miss out on a player, Antoine Griezmann chose not to turn his back on Atlético Madrid in their hour of need, but they are unlikely to lose out on them to another club.Even very recently, this wasn’t always the case. Manchester United have a long history of seeing their transfer deals get hijacked by more decisive clubs.
Remember the 80’s? Paul Gascoigne was the hottest prospect in English football and Manchester United had all but agreed to sign him, until Spurs bought his parents a house and, ever the loyal son, Gazza signed for them instead. A move he has since regretted.
And who could forget United’s pursuit of Alan Shearer in the 90’s, where Newcastle came in with a world record bid and the chance to play hometown hero for his boyhood club, beating the Red Devils to the punch.
Things didn’t get much better after the turn of the century, either. In fact they got worse. Here are 10 of the biggest Manchester United transfers that got hijacked by other clubs since the year 2000:
Ronaldinho
Year: 2003
Selling club: PSG
Hijacker: Barcelona
Fee: €30m
The transfer that shaped football as we know it today. United were looking so likely to get Ronaldinho they even signed Kleberson just to keep him company. But Barcelona and their Brazilian contacts came in and secured the player’s heart and United were left to look on enviously as Ronaldinho took the Blaugrana to the top of world football.
Quote: “Yes, I could have played for another club, but I went to Barcelona because of my friendship with Sandro Rosell. I could have played for Manchester United.”
Arjen Robben
Year: 2004
Selling club: PSV
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £12.1m
United are known for their flying wingers and in 2004 it seems Sir Alex Ferguson had identified his next great one, and true David Beckham replacement, in Arjen Robben. But United wasted time haggling over a fee and Chelsea came in and blew them away, securing the dynamic Dutchman.
Quote: “My meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson went very well,” says Robben, “and I was ready to sign. But I was convinced by Ranieri and Kenyon – they told me the whole Chelsea story and it appealed to me.”
John Obi Mikel
Year: 2006
Selling club: Lyn
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £12m
Manchester United actually signed John Obi Mikel in 2005. He even had a press conference in the shirt, big smiles and everything. Then later he vanished, whisked away to London by his agent John Shittu. Mikel then claimed he never wanted to sign for United and instead wanted to play for Chelsea.
FIFA dismissed United’s official complaint of untoward behaviour (which, in hindsight, is quite telling) and the player signed for Chelsea. There he won an awful lot of trophies – though José Mourinho turned what was the next great African playmaker into a dull-as-dishwater defensive midfielder. Shame.
Quote: “A number of clubs wanted to sign Mikel and I showed all the faxes to him. He didn’t want to see them, because his mind was set on Manchester United. He was very happy when the deal was done and he wanted to go to United.”
Michael Ballack
Year: 2006
Selling club: Bayern Munich
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: Free
Manchester United had been linked with Michael Ballack for years, and in 2006 with his contract running down it seems they were finally going to get their man and Ferguson would have his new midfield general. Chelsea came in wagging their finger like Dennis Nedry and one again gazumped the Red Devils to a player, this one an absolute titan.
Quote: “Manchester United] came before Chelsea, but I didn’t have discussions with Sir Alex Ferguson. At the time United were not really good in the Champions League – they had gone out in the first round that year. But Chelsea were growing really quickly. I wanted to be a part of this.”
Aaron Ramsey
Year: 2008
Selling club: Cardiff
Hijacker: Arsenal
Fee: £4.8m
United had earmarked Aaron Ramsey as the possible future star of their midfield and had a bid accepted for him. However when he came to Carrington, Sir Alex was on holiday and club captain Gary Neville showed him around. Meanwhile Arsene Wenger took the time to greet him personally. Ramsey felt more catered to by Arsenal and signed there.
Quote: “[Arsene Wenger] did a lot to try and get me to this club. As a 17-year-old, flying out on a private jet to his hotel (in Switzerland for Euro 2008) was surreal but I think I made the right decision. I just felt a bit more wanted by Arsenal and by the boss.”
Eden Hazard
Year: 2012
Selling club: Lille
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £32m
As Manchester United’s ceaseless dominance was beginning to ebb away again, the transfer hijackings returned! The Red Devils wanted Eden Hazard to help keep the good times a-rollin’ but he opted to sign for the European Champions instead. Since then Hazard has United beat 2-1 on Premier League titles.
Quote: “There was a struggle between Chelsea and United, but according to me Chelsea has the best project. I was in advanced contact with both clubs and I spoke to both coaches.”
Lucas
Year: 2012
Selling club: Sao Paulo
Hijacker: PSG
Fee: €45m
After missing out on Hazard, United went after Brazilian sensation Lucas. They were in pole position before haggling over the fee allowed PSG to sweep in ahead of them and secure their man. Sir Alex Ferguson played the frustrated man, bemoaning the rise of transfer fees, frustrated at missing out two wingers in one window.
Quote: “I was very close to joining Manchester United,” Moura says. “It nearly happened but, at the last minute, Leonardo called me and spoke to me and my parents.”
Thiago
Year: 2013
Selling club: Barcelona
Hijacker: Bayern Munich
Fee: €25m
When Barcelona inexplicably decided they wanted to sell the future of their midfield, United were at the head of the queue. David Moyes had an open goal and still managed to whiff it wide and snap his cruciates in the process. While he was debating whether or not to sign the future best central midfielder in the world, Bayern Munich moved in, Pep Guardiola smiled at Thiago, and it was all over.
Quote: “Yes [he could have signed for United], but the real possibility was Bayern. [Because of Guardiola?] Yes, probably, but I can’t change the past and I prefer to focus on now. You learn something new every day with Pep, a magnificent coach who transmits real passion.”
Pedro
Year: 2015
Selling club: Barcelona
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £21.4m
Louis van Gaal needed goals and pace out wide, he needed a traditional Van Gaal style winger. Fortunately Barcelona were selling Pedro, who fit the mould exactly. United were moving for him, but moving too slowly. Chelsea sped ahead of them and got the deal done in a handful of days, leaving Van Gaal without a player who could have transformed his attack in 2015/16.
Quote: “I had offers from other English clubs – Manchester United, City and Chelsea, who were the club that more rapidly resolved my transfer and the one that showed more interest in me.”
Renato Sanches
Year: 2016
Selling club: Benfica
Hijacker: Bayern Munich
Fee: €35m+€45m
Hailed the next great midfield general, Renato Sanches had an incredible season in 2015/16 that had all the major clubs scrambling for his services. United were in pole position but manager José Mourinho wasn’t appointed in time to push the deal through and Bayern dropped a mountain of cash in Benfica’s lap and secured the player (who went on to be Portugal’s most exciting player as they won Euro 2016).
Quote: “I arrived late. I signed in May, we started talking a week before, but completely out of the process. If I had arrived earlier, I’d fight for him.”
I thought that maybe those who got tired of the Morata saga can come relief themselves with some of our transfer feck ups. I think for most the major heartbreak was the Ronaldinho deal. The hazard deal was disappointing at the time not heart breaking but you have to think that if we had him we would be in a better position right now. I also didn't know that we tried to sign Ballack but turned us down because he thought he would win ucl with Chelsea
10 times Man Utd have seen transfer deals hijacked since 2000
Manchester United have already secured one signing this summer and are close to getting a few more.
They’re likely to get them, too. One year into José Mourinho’s reign Manchester United are a sleek transfer machine. They identify the players they want, and go get them.They may miss out on a player, Antoine Griezmann chose not to turn his back on Atlético Madrid in their hour of need, but they are unlikely to lose out on them to another club.Even very recently, this wasn’t always the case. Manchester United have a long history of seeing their transfer deals get hijacked by more decisive clubs.
Remember the 80’s? Paul Gascoigne was the hottest prospect in English football and Manchester United had all but agreed to sign him, until Spurs bought his parents a house and, ever the loyal son, Gazza signed for them instead. A move he has since regretted.
And who could forget United’s pursuit of Alan Shearer in the 90’s, where Newcastle came in with a world record bid and the chance to play hometown hero for his boyhood club, beating the Red Devils to the punch.
Things didn’t get much better after the turn of the century, either. In fact they got worse. Here are 10 of the biggest Manchester United transfers that got hijacked by other clubs since the year 2000:
Ronaldinho
Year: 2003
Selling club: PSG
Hijacker: Barcelona
Fee: €30m
The transfer that shaped football as we know it today. United were looking so likely to get Ronaldinho they even signed Kleberson just to keep him company. But Barcelona and their Brazilian contacts came in and secured the player’s heart and United were left to look on enviously as Ronaldinho took the Blaugrana to the top of world football.
Quote: “Yes, I could have played for another club, but I went to Barcelona because of my friendship with Sandro Rosell. I could have played for Manchester United.”
Arjen Robben
Year: 2004
Selling club: PSV
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £12.1m
United are known for their flying wingers and in 2004 it seems Sir Alex Ferguson had identified his next great one, and true David Beckham replacement, in Arjen Robben. But United wasted time haggling over a fee and Chelsea came in and blew them away, securing the dynamic Dutchman.
Quote: “My meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson went very well,” says Robben, “and I was ready to sign. But I was convinced by Ranieri and Kenyon – they told me the whole Chelsea story and it appealed to me.”
John Obi Mikel
Year: 2006
Selling club: Lyn
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £12m
Manchester United actually signed John Obi Mikel in 2005. He even had a press conference in the shirt, big smiles and everything. Then later he vanished, whisked away to London by his agent John Shittu. Mikel then claimed he never wanted to sign for United and instead wanted to play for Chelsea.
FIFA dismissed United’s official complaint of untoward behaviour (which, in hindsight, is quite telling) and the player signed for Chelsea. There he won an awful lot of trophies – though José Mourinho turned what was the next great African playmaker into a dull-as-dishwater defensive midfielder. Shame.
Quote: “A number of clubs wanted to sign Mikel and I showed all the faxes to him. He didn’t want to see them, because his mind was set on Manchester United. He was very happy when the deal was done and he wanted to go to United.”
Michael Ballack
Year: 2006
Selling club: Bayern Munich
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: Free
Manchester United had been linked with Michael Ballack for years, and in 2006 with his contract running down it seems they were finally going to get their man and Ferguson would have his new midfield general. Chelsea came in wagging their finger like Dennis Nedry and one again gazumped the Red Devils to a player, this one an absolute titan.
Quote: “Manchester United] came before Chelsea, but I didn’t have discussions with Sir Alex Ferguson. At the time United were not really good in the Champions League – they had gone out in the first round that year. But Chelsea were growing really quickly. I wanted to be a part of this.”
Aaron Ramsey
Year: 2008
Selling club: Cardiff
Hijacker: Arsenal
Fee: £4.8m
United had earmarked Aaron Ramsey as the possible future star of their midfield and had a bid accepted for him. However when he came to Carrington, Sir Alex was on holiday and club captain Gary Neville showed him around. Meanwhile Arsene Wenger took the time to greet him personally. Ramsey felt more catered to by Arsenal and signed there.
Quote: “[Arsene Wenger] did a lot to try and get me to this club. As a 17-year-old, flying out on a private jet to his hotel (in Switzerland for Euro 2008) was surreal but I think I made the right decision. I just felt a bit more wanted by Arsenal and by the boss.”
Eden Hazard
Year: 2012
Selling club: Lille
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £32m
As Manchester United’s ceaseless dominance was beginning to ebb away again, the transfer hijackings returned! The Red Devils wanted Eden Hazard to help keep the good times a-rollin’ but he opted to sign for the European Champions instead. Since then Hazard has United beat 2-1 on Premier League titles.
Quote: “There was a struggle between Chelsea and United, but according to me Chelsea has the best project. I was in advanced contact with both clubs and I spoke to both coaches.”
Lucas
Year: 2012
Selling club: Sao Paulo
Hijacker: PSG
Fee: €45m
After missing out on Hazard, United went after Brazilian sensation Lucas. They were in pole position before haggling over the fee allowed PSG to sweep in ahead of them and secure their man. Sir Alex Ferguson played the frustrated man, bemoaning the rise of transfer fees, frustrated at missing out two wingers in one window.
Quote: “I was very close to joining Manchester United,” Moura says. “It nearly happened but, at the last minute, Leonardo called me and spoke to me and my parents.”
Thiago
Year: 2013
Selling club: Barcelona
Hijacker: Bayern Munich
Fee: €25m
When Barcelona inexplicably decided they wanted to sell the future of their midfield, United were at the head of the queue. David Moyes had an open goal and still managed to whiff it wide and snap his cruciates in the process. While he was debating whether or not to sign the future best central midfielder in the world, Bayern Munich moved in, Pep Guardiola smiled at Thiago, and it was all over.
Quote: “Yes [he could have signed for United], but the real possibility was Bayern. [Because of Guardiola?] Yes, probably, but I can’t change the past and I prefer to focus on now. You learn something new every day with Pep, a magnificent coach who transmits real passion.”
Pedro
Year: 2015
Selling club: Barcelona
Hijacker: Chelsea
Fee: £21.4m
Louis van Gaal needed goals and pace out wide, he needed a traditional Van Gaal style winger. Fortunately Barcelona were selling Pedro, who fit the mould exactly. United were moving for him, but moving too slowly. Chelsea sped ahead of them and got the deal done in a handful of days, leaving Van Gaal without a player who could have transformed his attack in 2015/16.
Quote: “I had offers from other English clubs – Manchester United, City and Chelsea, who were the club that more rapidly resolved my transfer and the one that showed more interest in me.”
Renato Sanches
Year: 2016
Selling club: Benfica
Hijacker: Bayern Munich
Fee: €35m+€45m
Hailed the next great midfield general, Renato Sanches had an incredible season in 2015/16 that had all the major clubs scrambling for his services. United were in pole position but manager José Mourinho wasn’t appointed in time to push the deal through and Bayern dropped a mountain of cash in Benfica’s lap and secured the player (who went on to be Portugal’s most exciting player as they won Euro 2016).
Quote: “I arrived late. I signed in May, we started talking a week before, but completely out of the process. If I had arrived earlier, I’d fight for him.”
