Pranav Nair
Sir Alex Ferguson reveals Manchester United failed in their efforts to land Francesco Totti
Speaking to Gazzetto Dello Sport (h/t Sport Witness), legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that the club was keen on signing Francesco Totti.
The Azzurri legend spent the entirety of his career with AS Roma, United’s Europa League semifinal opponents later today. Having come through their youth system, Totti was committed to the club and made 785 appearances across an incredible 25 seasons.
While he did win numerous personal accolades, it is fair to say that staying at Roma saw him miss out on a number of major honours.
Totti’s talents and leadership qualities were undeniable and United were one of the teams keen on him. It would appear that the Red Devils even approached Roma regarding a potential transfer.
“We liked the player and we would have liked to include him in our script.”
Ferguson went on to add that United’s interest did little to sway the Italian star. He was committed to Roma and it would appear that not even the glory and riches of United could tempt him otherwise.
“When we expressed our interest, it was immediately clear that Totti did not want to leave Rome. He was deeply attached to his city.”
A legend of the game, it would have been a dream to see Totti don the famous United red. Unfortunately, it was not to be and he stayed true to his ideals.
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Totti did, however, lace his boots to take to the Old Trafford pitch twice in his career. He was a part of the Roma side that was humbled 7-1 by United in 2007.
