Five Man Utd ‘rejects’ play in Champions League and Europa finals this week… SunSport looks at the ones who got away
MANCHESTER UNITED do not feature in a Euro final this weekend — but some of their old boys do.
Here SunSport explores the ones who got away from Old Trafford to make a name elsewhere.
ANDER HERRERA
United wrestled Herrera out of Athletic Bilbao for £28.8million in 2014.
A five-year stint saw him scoop the club’s Player of the Year in 2016-17, the same season they won the League Cup and the Europa League — where he was also man of the match in the final.
But the summer 2017 arrival of Nemanja Matic meant fewer starts and Herrera, now 31, joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free in July 2019.
ANGEL DI MARIA
Much was expected when Louis van Gaal paid Real Madrid £59.7m for the Argie star in 2014.
It started well, scoring a few goals early on — including a superb chip in a 5-3 loss at Leicester.
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He struggled to settle in the North West and his early form fell away, with one goal in the second half of the season — at Yeovil in the FA Cup.
That July he did not board United’s pre-season flight to the US and joined PSG days later.
ROMELU LUKAKU
United sprang a surprise in summer 2017 when they pipped Chelsea to the £75m signing of Lukaku from Everton.
Ten goals in his first nine games broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s club record.
The Belgian went on to rack up 27 overall in his first season but after Jose Mourinho’s axe in December 2018 he never really won over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Lukaku, 27, joined Inter Milan for £73m last summer and has scored 33 goals for them so far.
ASHLEY YOUNG
Joined from Aston Villa for a fee of around £16m in 2011.
He was one of Alex Ferguson’s last buys, playing his part in his last title win in 2013 and converting to a left-back along the way.
Inter came in last January and, after more than eight years and 260-plus appearances, the club let him go.
Young, 35, has four goals and four assists for the Italians.
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ALEXIS SANCHEZ
The Old Trafford club signed the striker in January 2018, giving him the No 7 shirt and wages around £500,000 per week.
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Yet boss Jose Mourinho struggled to get a tune out of him and it was no better with Ole.
He scored just three Premier League goals before leaving for Inter on loan last August and completing a permanent deal this month.
