Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has revealed that someone at Old Trafford blocked his return to the club last month.
The French veteran left Manchester in 2014 to join Juventus, where he continued to enjoy great success before moving on during the January transfer window to join Marseille.
However, it could have been very different for him as he revealed that he spoke with Jose Mourinho about a return to his former club, but the move was dismissed by someone else at the club who evidently didn’t want him back.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Evra said: “I was very close to a return to Manchester United. I also spoke with Mourinho but there was a person, whose name I will not say, who probably did not like the idea of my return.
“Even the fans were enthusiastic and would have been delighted, but because I realised that they [the club] would not do anything I then asked my agent to look for other teams.”
Naturally, his comments sparked plenty of responses on social media from United supporters guessing who it might be, but what is certain is that a return to Old Trafford never materialised and now Evra will focus on making his comeback in France a success.
The experienced 35-year-old had shown signs of decline in recent months when playing for Juve, but a move to Marseille could reinvigorate him and spark a new lease of life as he hopes to put the disappointment of not getting another chance at United behind him.
Evra won five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup during his spell with the Red Devils, and remains a popular figure amongst supporters.