A Manchester United defensive target turned down the chance to move to Old Trafford despite being a fan of the club and has spoken about the circumstances around the rejection
Thomas Meunier was linked with Manchester United while at Borussia Dortmund(Image: Getty Images)
Thomas Meunier, a self-proclaimed Manchester United fan, has revealed that he once turned down the opportunity to move to Old Trafford despite that fandom. The Belgian defender was playing for Borussia Dortmund at the time when he claims the offer was made.
Meunier transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Dortmund in 2020 and departed the club in February 2024. During his spell at Signal Iduna Park, he alleges that an unnamed coach at United tried to persuade him to sign with a specific agent to help secure a move to Manchester.
“When I was at Dortmund. I could have signed for Manchester United. I didn’t have an agent. And, in fact, the coach there at the time clearly directed me to his agent so I could sign for Manchester United,” Meunier told RTBF (via Sport Witness).
“I refused, and I didn’t sign. Otherwise, you would have known… But there you go,” he added. Meunier did not clarify whether it was United’s head coach or another staff member who made the proposition, nor did he reveal the exact date of the alleged offer.
Thomas Meunier with Niklas Sule and Sebastien Haller at Borussia Dortmund(Image: Sebastian El-Saqqa – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
“That’s also the negative side of football,” he continued. “There’s a lot of money at stake. And even coaches work with agents specifically to place players and get paid. I have 45 examples like that. Now, I can’t prove them all, so I won’t name any names. But it’s something that, in my opinion, still happens far too frequently.”
United were not the only club interested in Meunier during his stint at Dortmund. Barcelona also considered a move, and the full-back discussed this interest while speaking to the Belgian press in 2022.
“It could have been…Barcelona were looking for a reliable right-back, someone who is physically strong, complete, and can be dangerous on stagnant stages, for an acceptable price, given their financial situation,” he said.
“I fit that profile, those different conditions. That’s what I have proven this season. But when Dortmund called me about the offer they had received from Barcelona, it immediately sounded like: ‘Sorry, you can’t leave’.”
Meunier in action for current club Lille(Image: AP)
Meunier, who departed Paris Saint-Germain just before their 2020 Champions League final, also left Dortmund before they featured in the final of the same competition. He transferred to Trabzonspor just months prior to Edin Terzic guiding the German club to the 2024 Wembley showpiece, and later that same year, he moved on to Lille.
He was part of the Lille team that was eliminated from Europe by Dortmund last season, participating in both legs of their Champions League round of 16 encounter. , having also played in league phase matches against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.
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