Renowned for his legendary status among football’s elite defenders, Sergio Ramos’s illustrious tenure with both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, punctuated by his four Champions League victories, two European Championships, and a World Cup triumph in 2010, will be long remembered.
After 16 impactful years with Real Madrid, Ramos departed from the club two years prior.
The revered former captain of Real Madrid was once on the cusp of signing with Manchester United, he has disclosed.
The year was 2015, and Manchester United, then under the management of Louis van Gaal, was keenly pursuing Ramos.
Eight years following those discussions, Ramos has acknowledged the gravity of the situation, confirming that the possibility of his transfer to United was indeed serious.
Despite the intense speculation, Ramos renewed his allegiance to Real Madrid by signing a new contract, a decision he seemingly does not regret.
His exact words, reported by The Mirror, were: “I stayed where I should have stayed, Real Madrid, but I was indeed close to playing for United.”
He elaborated on his continued respect for the English club, highlighting his admiration for the Premier League and its distinctive gameplay, which he believes offers valuable lessons.
“It was not to be,” Ramos reflected on the missed opportunity to join United, “but I do keep that admiration for the club, to the Premier League and the players, because the rhythm of play, the pace is different, and it’s a league we can all learn a great deal from, all of us. So that was not meant to be. I was glad to stay in Madrid, and now I’m glad to be in Sevilla.”
Following the decision to stay with Real Madrid, Ramos’s career flourished with three consecutive Champions League titles.
Meanwhile, Manchester United has had to come to terms with the fact that their interest has occasionally been leveraged by players to secure better deals elsewhere. This trend, which has seen United on the less favorable side of negotiations, is one that the club surely hopes to see the end of.
