David Moyes names two superstars who almost joined Man Utd
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David Moyes was named as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United back in 2013, being handed a six-year deal at Old Trafford.
Having enjoyed a successful spell in charge of Everton, expectations for Moyes were extremely high heading into his first season as Man Utd boss, with fans even unfurling a banner labelling him “The Chosen One” after he was handpicked by Ferguson to be his successor.
Despite inheriting a squad that won the Premier League under Ferguson the season prior – thanks in large part to the brilliance of Robin van Persie – Man Utd’s form dipped dramatically during Moyes’ tenure however, with the manager being sacked just nine months into said six-year contract.
Central to the Scottish manager’s struggles during his time at Old Trafford proved to be the lack transfer activity in the 2013 summer transfer window. Moyes was able to get just one player through the door on deadline day of the window, bringing in ex-Everton star Marouane Fellaini for £27.5m.
David Moyes reveals how close Man Utd came to signing Cesc Fabregas
Moyes had much loftier targets than Fellaini during his maiden summer transfer window in charge at Old Trafford, revealing on the Stick to Football podcast that he had his sights set on both Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale.
When detailing how close he came to signing the midfielder after Ferguson suggested Fabregas as a United target in 2013, Moyes revealed that the Spain international promised that if he didn’t start the first game of the 2013/14 campaign at Barcelona then he would make the move to Old Trafford.
“At the time, I remember when I’d met Sir Alex, he asked whether I’d be interested in Cesc Fabregas, I said ‘definitely’,” recalled Moyes.
“That was probably the main signing we were trying to get in the summer, and I’d spoken to Cesc, and he has said that if he started the first game for Barcelona, he wouldn’t come but if he didn’t then he would come. So I was going to have to wait to that time to find out.”
Unfortunately for Moyes and Man Utd, Fabregas would end up starting Barca’s first La Liga fixture of said campaign, playing his part in a thumping 7-0 win over Levante – the first win of a season in which La Blaugrana would finish second in La Liga.
David Moyes on why Man Utd bid for Gareth Bale fell through in 2013
The manager also revealed the details of the Man Utd’s bid to sign then-Tottenham Hotspur star Bale back in 2013.
Moyes admitted that Man Utd had actually offered “more money” than Real Madrid in order to sign Bale, but the player chose a move to the Spanish giants instead:
“Gareth Bale was the other one. My interpretation with United was that they had great wingers, great wide players with traditions from George Best, and you name them all through the years.
“So I thought Bale would be the one and, to be fair to the club, they’d offered more money and had tried to get him, but he had his heart set on Real Madrid.”
Bale eventually joined Los Blancos for a whopping £85m, and would go on to play a huge role for the club as they dominated European football for the next number of years. The Welsh star won five UEFA Champions Leagues at the Santiago Bernabeu, famously scoring three goals in finals.
