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Manchester United recently announced that Ed Woodward will leave the executive vice-chairman role at the end of January. He will be replaced by managing director Richard Arnold. When Sir Alex Ferguson left at the end of the 2012-13 season, the Glazers gave Woodward the responsibility of running the club.
Woodward has had a rough time ever since he took over the reins. Manchester United have failed to lift the Premier League trophy since then and have been disappointing in the Champions League as well. Under Woodward, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all been sacked as managers.
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Manchester United fans have criticized Woodward
Furious fans have accused Woodward of poor management in recent times. For a club like Manchester United, signing big names should never be outside their limits. However, a varied number of issues prevailing at the club have led to some deals falling through.
We now take a look at five superstars who could have signed for Manchester United.
#5 Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas, one of the brightest midfielders in Europe during his time at Arsenal, was linked with Manchester United in 2013. David Moyes was interested in signing the former Arsenal captain during his short reign at Old Trafford. United’s midfield needed strengthening, and Fabregas seemed like the solution.
Fabregas’ talent caught the eye of Barcelona, who signed the Spaniard in the summer of 2011. However, Fabregas found it difficult to get playing time in a squad that boasted of maestros such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets.
Moyes spoke with the Spaniard but the deal fell through with Fabregas insisting he was happy at Barcelona. However, he made his Premier League return in the summer of 2014 after Jose Mourinho convinced him to sign for Chelsea. Fabregas won two Premier Leagues, one Europa League and one FA Cup during his four-and-a-half year spell at Stamford Bridge.
#4 Thomas Muller
Bayern Munich stalwart Thomas Muller was also closely linked with a move to Manchester United in 2015. United approached Bayern in 2014 as well, but that bid was rejected. A newer offer rumored to be close to £100 million was made the following year that had both parties briefly interested.
With Rooney’s form declining, Muller would have been an ideal fit at Manchester United. Bayern teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger had also completed a transfer to Old Trafford earlier that summer. However, the Bavarian club were unwilling to let two of their stars leave. Muller is now a Bayern Munich icon, having won 10 league titles and two Champions League trophies with Bayern Munich.
Louis van Gaal pursued a move for the German during his time in charge and Muller revealed that the deal looked like a real possibility. But in the end, United were shown the door and left empty-handed. Muller’s wife also played a role, as she was unwilling to shift to the United Kingdom.
#3 Gareth Bale
Manchester United were heavily linked with Gareth Bale in the summer of 2013. Ed Woodward provided United with a huge transfer budget as he wanted to bring in big names to the club. David Moyes, who then managed United, had his heart set on Bale, but the Welshman chose to play for Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale was in top form during the 2012/13 Premier League Campaign. He scored 21 goals in 33 appearances for Tottenham and also provided nine assists. Moyes revealed that Bale was the first signing he tried to make at the club. The Welshman might have transformed Manchester United had he accepted the offer.
Bale has won a plethora of trophies with the Galacticos, including four Champions League titles and two La Liga titles. He made his Premier League return to Tottenham in the 2020/21 season, which was sadly quite uneventful. As far as Manchester United are concerned, the Tottenham and Real Madrid star was the one that got away.
#2 Sergio Ramos
One of Real Madrid's greatest defenders, Sergio Ramos was close to joining Manchester United in 2015. The Red Devil’s had made a bid of around £32 million for the Spaniard. The offer was turned down as Madrid valued Ramos at £60 million.
Manchester United had finished fourth in the league the previous season and Woodward needed defensive reinforcements. He believed Ramos could provide solidity at the back and make United title contenders. David De Gea was also part of the deal to lower the asking price for the defender.
Manchester United fans were soon disheartened when Ramos signed a five-year contract and revealed he never wanted to leave Real Madrid. He won three Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles after his contract renewal. The Spaniard was a true leader at Real and was an integral part of their successful European crusades.
#1 Harry Kane
Harry Kane has been on the transfer radar of many top clubs over the past few years. Manchester United were amongst those interested in the prolific striker. Ed Woodward also mentioned that not being able to sign Kane was one of his biggest regrets.
Tottenham, however, would not let Kane depart quite so easily. Kane signed a six-year contract in 2018 preventing any potential buyers from stealing him away from Spurs. The Englishman is one of the best strikers in Europe and comes with a massive price tag of £150 million. United’s local rivals Manchester City tried and failed to sign him last summer.
Manchester United’s current strike force has a combined age of 70. While Ronaldo and Cavani are undoubtedly still reliable, United will need to find a young and established striker. Kane would be ideal for the Red Devils, but splurging such amounts of money at once would be problematic.
