Manchester United have continued their transfer activity this summer ahead of the upcoming Premier League season
Michael Carrick.
Michael Carrick is working on transfers to bolster the United squad(Image: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP via Getty Images)
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Manchester United famously allowed a future World Cup winner and one of England's most prolific goalscorers slip through their fingers. The club have handled some incredible transfers over the years, bringing many successful players to Old Trafford.
However, they have seen some exciting prospects opt for other Premier League sides and beyond. Michael Carrick has confirmed deals for Andrey Santos, Karl Darlow and Youri Tielemans this summer.
United's negotiations with Atalanta's Ederson stalled after a medical revealed knee concerns. Carrick hopes to avoid any further transfer mishaps as he builds a team ready to battle for silverware.
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Here, examines some of the failed transfers at United, including a Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup hero.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho was 99.9% a United player(Image: CESAR RANGEL/AFP via Getty Images)
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United were close to a £9million deal for Ronaldinho from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003. The Brazil international had impressed in France, making 44 goal contributions in 77 appearances.
The midfielder was seen as David Beckham's replacement, who looked set to move to Spain. Barcelona had entered negotiations with the England captain over a £30m deal and Real Madrid were also interested.
Madrid would land Beckham for around £25m but Barca ended up hijacking United's deal for Ronaldinho. United were "99.9% certain" the World Cup winner would join but the La Liga giants signed him for £25.5m.
The Brazilian would go on to win the Ballon d'Or for his performances in Spain.
John Obi Mikel
John Obi Mikel.
John Obi Mikel was all but a confirmed star for United - but he chose Chelsea instead(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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John Obi Mikel chose Chelsea over United despite talks with Sir Alex Ferguson and signing a pre-contract. Speaking on TNT Sports' What I Wore*,* the Champions League winner said: "My first trial was with Manchester United. After the Under-17 tournament, I went there for trials. And then United thought, ‘Spend two, three months with us, and then go back home, and come back. And when you become 18, you can sign a professional contract.'
"So I went back home and then Chelsea heard about the whole thing, that I was back home. And they sent an agent to Nigeria to come and get me to go to trials at Chelsea. I went to trials at Chelsea and they liked me and wanted me to sign. So they thought, ‘Okay, we’re not going to make the same mistake as United by sending you back home. We’re going to send you to Norway'. United went to find out where I was, and then they sent an agent to come to Oslo.
"That’s when the contract came from United, Fergie and his agents. That’s when I signed the contract. But of course, Chelsea had sent me to Norway and they said, ‘Why would you do that? We’ve been looking after you for about a year now.' So when they saw that [I’d signed for United] they refused to let it go and said they’d fight. FIFA couldn’t sort it out and get either team to back off, the English FA got involved and then I had a one-to-one meeting with Fergie.
"He said he wanted a meeting with me, alone without anybody for 30 minutes, and that he would be able to convince me to come to Manchester United. So I had the meeting, but he couldn't convince me and that’s how it was settled."
Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos.
Toni Kroos would stay in Germany and win the World Cup with his country(Image: Martin Rose/Getty Images)
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Toni Kroos verbally agreed to join United from Bayern Munich in 2013 as David Moyes took over from Fergie at Old Trafford. The Germany international was seen as a priority but stayed in his homeland for another season before joining Real Madrid.
Moyes told talkSPORT in 2018: "Toni Kroos had agreed to come to Manchester United with me. I met him and his wife and we agreed it all when he was at Bayern Munich."
Kroos went on to win the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and became a five-time Champions League winner at Madrid.
Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala.
Paulo Dybala was part of a proposed swap deal between Juventus and United(Image: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
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In 2019, United tried to arrange a swap deal with Juventus involving Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw the Belgium international as surplus to requirements and reports in Italy stated a deal had been agreed between the clubs.
Dybala ultimately chose to remain with Juve and won 11 major honours in Italy. He was also part of the Argentina squad that won the World Cup in 2022 and is now at Roma.
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer had his pick of Newcastle and Manchester in 1996 after winning the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers. The league's record goalscorer met with Sir Alex and his childhood hero, Kevin Keegan, who became the catalyst in the striker's final decision.
Alan Shearer.
Alan Shearer could've joined United over his boyhood club(Image: Anton Want/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
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He told The Rest is Football podcast in 2023: "I had the choice between Newcastle and Man United. I went to meet Kevin and Sir Alex on the same day, I met Kevin in the morning, Sir Alex in the afternoon. And the first words in the afternoon, Sir Alex came in and said to me, 'Am I meeting you first or am I meeting you second?'
"And I said, 'I've just met Kevin this morning,' and he said, 'That's me f*****, I've got no chance.' I asked why and he said, 'Always first impressions last.' Anyway, a day went over, I went home and I said, 'I'm signing for Man United.'
"Fergie was incredible, we went to Manchester and we went house hunting. Then two days later, I got a call off Kevin to say, 'I would like an hour with you before you go and that's it.' I had talks with him and I rung my Mrs up and said, 'I'm signing for Newcastle, there's a taxi coming in half an hour, you need to pack a bag for me and we're flying to the far east tonight.'"