Five Biggest Man Utd Transfer Sagas in History

Manchester United fans will have breathed a sigh of relief after the club finally signed striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta on Saturday.

The Serie A club’s excessive demands threatened to derail to move, but United got the deal over the line for a £64 million fee plus add-ons.

Having already signed Mason Mount and Andre Onana this summer, several sports betting sites have now trimmed United’s odds to win the 2023/24 Premier League title.

United remain in the market for another midfielder, with Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat their primary target once they ship out some unwanted players.

The club will be keen to avoid becoming embroiled in a lengthy process to get the Moroccan on board with the new season just under two weeks away.

United have long had a reputation for messy transfer dealings – with that in mind, read on as we visit some of the club’s previous transfer sagas.

Dimitar Berbatov

The summer transfer window in 2008 is largely remembered for Dimitar Berbatov’s controversial move from Tottenham Hotspur to Man United.

Berbatov sensationally downed tools at Spurs in a bid to force through a move, but chairman Daniel Levy dug his heels in until deadline day.

The Bulgarian eventually secured his dream move to Old Trafford despite late interest from Manchester City, leaving Levy with a sour taste in his mouth.

John Obi Mikel

Man United thought they had pulled off a coup when they announced the signing of John Obi Mikel from Norwegian club Lyn in April 2005.

He was scheduled to arrive at Old Trafford in January 2006 and even attended a hastily arranged press conference to express his delight at joining the club.

However, a complex scenario unfolded which included claims of ‘kidnapping’ before Mikel was officially unveiled as a Chelsea player in July.

Wesley Sneijder

Netherlands international midfielder Wesley Sneijder was strongly linked with Man United in 2011 and a move to Old Trafford seemed inevitable.

Sneijder admitted to engaging in ‘unofficial talks’ with the club and it appeared to be just a matter of time before he was announced as a new United player.

However, the move eventually broke down. Sir Alex Ferguson subsequently denied United were ever interested in Sneijder. Pull the other one, Sir Alex!

Alan Shearer

Man United offered a British record fee to sign Alan Shearer from Southampton in 1992, but lost him to Blackburn Rovers after failing to get the money together quickly enough.

Ferguson tried his luck again four years later, but could not persuade Shearer to resist the temptation of returning to his boyhood club Newcastle United.

The striker was superb for the Magpies but failed to add any more silverware to the league title he won at Blackburn. Meanwhile, United mopped up trophies for fun without him.

Frenkie de Jong

Barely a day went by last summer without Frenkie de Jong being linked with a big-money move from Barcelona to Man United.

The Premier League club were reportedly close to reaching an agreement with Barca, who were desperate to trim their excessive wage bill.

However, despite having the chance to link up with former manager Erik ten Hag, the Dutch midfielder refused to leave Camp Nou.

The Final Word

From Shearer to De Jong and more, the Premier League era has been littered with transfer sagas involving United.

Maybe things will be different when the club eventually secures new ownership. We live in hope!

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