Manchester United have brought in some of the most legendary players ever to play the game, but they’ve also seen plenty of big names slip through their fingers during transfer windows.
Manchester United are linked with plenty of potential signings every year, and 2026 is no different.
With the January window open, United haven’t been quick to make any new signings. Ineos appears content to wait until summer for their main targets.
They missed out on Antoine Semenyo, who joined Manchester City earlier this week.
In midfield, Carlos Baleba was a failed target from Brighton and most of the other midfielders they are looking at aren’t available yet.
If anyone does end up leaving during the season, United may look to bring someone in. Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte have both been mentioned as potential departures as they look for more playing time ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Javier Zanetti opens up about turning down Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd approach
United have had several big near misses when it comes to transfers.
From Wesley Sneijder and Thiago Alcantara to Ronaldinho and Patrick Kluivert, United have missed out on many top players down the years.
Javier Zanetti, who spent 19 seasons with Inter Milan, has now shared his experience of turning down an approach from Sir Alex Ferguson. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Argentina legend recalled:
“We met at an airport,” said Zanetti. “He told me that he wanted me to go to Manchester United and I thanked him.”
“Manchester United is one of the most important clubs in the world and Ferguson one of the most important coaches in the history of football,” he added. “But I told him that my footballing life would be through Inter, I wanted to play for them until the end of my career. And he understood that.”
Zanetti stayed loyal to Inter throughout his career, becoming a club icon much like how Ferguson valued loyalty within his own squads.
Zanetti won five consecutive Serie A titles with Inter from 2005/06 to 2009/10. The club also lifted the Champions League trophy in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, along with a FIFA Club World Cup title.
Mourinho clearly valued their time together too. When he picked his all-time best XI from players he’d managed, Zanetti was named as his right-back:
Javier Zanetti’s thoughts on Jose Mourinho
Zanetti ranks Mourinho highly among the managers he played for during his career.
Under Mourinho, Inter achieved a historic treble in 2010, featuring one of the strongest squads in the club’s history.
When asked about Mourinho, Zanetti described him as one of the best he’d worked with.
He said: “We won everything with him but beyond winning it was his personality, his ability, his intelligence, his capacity as a coach. He was very important in my career.”
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