Manchester United had the chance to sign Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric before he made a sensational move to Los Blancos from Tottenham.
Modric enjoyed four magnificent years at White Hart Lane, where he began to build his reputation as one of the best midfielders in the world.
His position in the eyes of the public has only improved slightly since moving to Spain, with the 37-year-old now considered one of the best midfielders of all time alongside the likes of Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Zinedine Zidane.
Since moving to the Santiago Bernabéu, Modric has racked up an impressive 454 appearances and won five Champions Leagues.
However, his career could have taken another turn according to United legend Rio Ferdinand.
Ferdinand revealed on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel that he tried to convince Modric to join United as his time in North London came to an end, something Modric was extremely open and willing to accept.
Ferdinand explained that the prospect of becoming the first Croat to play for the Red Devils greatly appealed to the Ballon d’Or winner.
The former United defender said: “I remember speaking to him [Modric]I said: ‘Are you going? [Tottenham]?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I think I’ll go,’ but at the time he wasn’t sure where. I said, ‘Listen, you’ve got to come to United, man.
“The [Modric] He said: Yes, listen, I want to be the first Croatian to play for Manchester United. I want to be that guy, can we make it happen? But it didn’t happen.”
“I spoke to David Gill and the manager [Sir Alex] at that time I had already met Shinji Kagawa I think it was – I think that was the year, I’m sure it was. ”
The 20-time English champions sealed a £17m contract for Shinji Kagawa in 2012.
The Japanese never found his footing at Old Trafford and was considered a failure by even some within United’s fan base. Kagawa finally returned to Dortmund just two years later for a paltry fee of £6.5 million.
