In 2013, David Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager.
At Old trafford, he faced the daunting task of following a legendary figure. Moyes’ tenure, however, was short-lived, marred by a difficult inaugural season that culminated in his dismissal in April 2014.
One of the significant challenges during his stint was the summer transfer window as it saw the club struggling to secure their top targets.
Moyes, inheriting an ageing squad, aimed to rejuvenate the team with high-profile signings. Speaking on the , he disclosed that Manchester United had made substantial efforts to bring in two marquee players: Gareth Bale and Cesc Fabregas.
“Both me and Alex Ferguson said ‘Cesc Fabregas’ and we spoke about him and he said, ‘Yeah we’ll bring Cesc Fabregas in’,” Moyes revealed.
Despite this alignment, the move did not materialize. Fabregas, then at Barcelona, was on the radar after falling out of favor at the end of the season.
Moyes explained, “We spoke to Cesc and Cesc had agreed if he hadn’t been selected in the first game for Barcelona he’d have joined Man United.”
The ambition didn’t stop there. Moyes was also determined to sign Gareth Bale, then a rising star at Tottenham.
“We had made a bigger offer to Tottenham, made bigger offers to him, his agent, we all done it. We had a helicopter waiting to try and get Gareth,” Moyes recounted.
However, despite offering more than Real Madrid, Bale had set his heart on joining the Spanish giants, a decision that Moyes couldn’t sway.
Ones that got away
Reflecting on his time at Manchester United, Moyes expressed frustration over the missed opportunities to sign Bale and Fabregas, which could have significantly bolstered his squad.
His tenure at Old Trafford remains a period of ‘what ifs,’ with these near-misses highlighting the challenges he faced in stepping into Ferguson’s shoes.
Both Fabregas and Bale rejected United in…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/worst-transfer-window-saw-bale-and-fabregas-reject-united/
Author : Martina Alcheva
Publish date : 2024-08-03 18:05:13
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