"He had a plan" - Solskjaer opens up on Jude Bellingham rejecting Manchester United despite talks with Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has explained how Jude Bellingham rejected the opportunity to join Manchester United despite holding talks with Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona.

Bellingham has been one of Europe's in-form attackers this season at Real Madrid. The English superstar has bagged 20 goals and eight assists in 30 games across competitions during his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the 20-year-old could have been playing for Manchester United if Solskjaer had his way in 2020. The Red Devils tried signing the 2023 Golden Boy winner while he was at Birmingham City.

Solskjaer shed light on how United tried to secure his signature by pulling out big names such as iconic former manager Ferguson and legendary striker Cantona. He told Stick to Football:

"Jude was at Carrington. I was there, Sir Alex was there, Bryan Robson, and Cantona were there. We all spoke to him and sold the project, but he knew what he wanted."

Bellingham instead headed to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in a £25 million deal. This set a world record transfer fee for a 17-year-old and he excelled at Signal Iduna Park with 24 goals and 25 goals in 132 games.

Solskjaer highlighted the maturity of the England international:

"The most mature 17-year-old I've ever met. He had a plan."

The current La Liga top scorer spent three years with Dortmund before joining Madrid last summer. He became Los Blancos' second most expensive signing in history, joining for an initial £88.5 million fee.

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Sir Alex Ferguson was reportedly furious Manchester United failed to sign Bellingham

Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't given much time to speak to the English superstar.

Bellingham has become one of European football superstars amid his remarkable start at the Bernabeu. He's broke a record held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo di Stefano by scoring 14 goals in his first 15 outings for the La Liga giants.

Ferguson unearthed many gems during his time in charge at Manchester United including the likes of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. The Scot still has a major influence at Old Trafford despite retiring in 2013.

That appeared to be the case in 2020 when the Red Devils tried signing Bellingham but to no avail. The Athletic delved into the manner of the meeting and how the club couldn't persuade the midfielder to join.

Ferguson shook hands with the youngster but was left 'incandescent' when John Murtough didn't allow them the time to talk. The club's sporting director instead offered the Birmingham academy graduate a tour of the club's facilities.