Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez is reported to have rejected Manchester United in favour of a £21million transfer to Chelsea, and the Spaniard isn’t the first – nor likely the last – to spurn the chance to move to Old Trafford.
Take a look at ten superstars who have turned their backs on a Red Devils deal…
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Five Man Utd alternatives to Pedro, as Spaniard agrees £21m Chelsea transfer, including superstar Arsenal targets and Harry Kane
1. Thomas Muller
In this summer’s transfer window, Muller has been heavily linked with the Red Devils, with reports claiming that Louis van Gaal has made an offer of £60million for his signature. The Dutchman, however, looks set to miss out on the Germany forward.
2. Cesc Fabregas
David Moyes wanted to sign the Spain playmaker during his short tenure at Old Trafford, but Fabregas opted to join Chelsea instead. Moyes ended up signing Marouane Fellaini. The rest is history.
3. Gareth Bale
Before sealing his record breaking move to the Spanish capital, David Moyes, then United manager, was desperate to sign the winger from Tottenham Hotspur. Louis van Gaal has too been heavily linked with interest, but it seems unlikely that the Welsh wizard will swap Madrid for Manchester any time soon.
4. Eden Hazard
The Belgium international was in advanced talks with United, but after an intervention from Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, Hazard decided the Blues were the best option for his career.
5. Sergio Ramos
The Ramos saga this summer has been an embarrassment, with the defender eventually getting his own way in earning a new and improved contract at the Santiago Bernabeu. Reports claimed that the Spaniard ordered Real chiefs to negotiate with United, but who knows if this was true.
6. Toni Kroos
During van Gaal’s first summer in charge of the Red Devils – the same window that the German joined Real Madrid – United had agreed a deal to sign Kroos, but the arrival of the Dutchman scuppered any transfer from happening.
7. Karim Benzema
Benzema himself has previously said that the Red Devils were after his signature in 2008 and 2011, but the Frenchman clearly had no desire to move to Manchester.
Arsenal have been linked with a £50million offer for the striker this summer.
8. Wesley Sneijder
The Netherlands international has constantly been linked with United throughout his career, but at the age of 31 and looking pretty settled in Turkey, this one doesn’t look likely to ever happen.
Saying that, who really believed that Bastian Schweinsteiger would leave Bayern Munich?
9. James Rodriguez
A cheeky one, as, apparently, it wasn’t James Rodriguez who rejected United, but rather the other way around.
Reports claimed that the Red Devils were offered the Colombian for just £5million as a teenager, but he wasn’t considered worth the investment.
10. Dani Alves
Another La Liga star that needed his ego satisfying. Reports a few months ago were confident in claiming that Alves would be heading to Manchester with his deal set to expire at the end of the season, but after their Champions League triumph, the Brazilian penned a new extension with Barca.
