Robert Lewandowski, the legendary striker, has said that he was on the verge of heading Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2012. Lewandowski had just had an incredible season with Borussia Dortmund, where they won the Bundesliga for the second time in a row under manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Polish striker was one of the most sought-after talents on the market for the major teams in Europe, scoring 30 goals that season. Lewandowski stayed with Borussia Dortmund, helping the team reach the UEFA Champions League final, and then controversially joined rival Bayern Munich upon a free transfer during the summer of 2014.
Lewandowski shockingly revealed that he had consented to transfer to Manchester United in 2012 when appearing on Rio Ferdinand's podcast. He said, "I said yes to join Manchester United. If Sir Alex Ferguson calls you, you cannot say no. Especially when I was 22 or 23 years old. At that time I was playing for Dortmund, I was happy, but Manchester United, [they were] like the prime of Manchester United.”
When Ferdinand questioned Robert Lewandowski about why he didn't join, the striker said, "Ask the club." As a result, Lewandowski is still unaware of the reason the deal failed. Lewandowski said that Dortmund, the German champions at the time, were anxious to hang onto him since they were in a great position to compete in Europe.
Who did Manchester United sign instead of Robert Lewandowski?
The Dutchman was nearing the end of his playing days when he transferred to Manchester United, but Robin van Persie arrived that summer and performed an outstanding performance at Old Trafford, leading the Red Devils towards the English Premier League title during his first season.
Van Persie, who was getting close to thirty, left the team after three seasons in 2015 to join Fenerbahce. The former Arsenal player spent the 2015–16 season in Turkey, although Lewandowski scored 42 goals in total for Bayern Munich during that season and 344 goals for the Bavarians in eight seasons.