adminSergio Ramos wasn’t the only Real Madrid player Manchester United wanted to sign this summer, it has been claimed.
Madrid president Florentino Perez revealed that Ed Woodward and United were also keen on Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane.
United failed in almost all of their high profile player pursuits this summer before eventually splashing out £36 million (plus add-ons) on French teenager Anthony Martial.
While Perez denied that Madrid rejected a reported €100m (£73,1m) bid for Bale, he did admit that the Premier League giants had looked into signing a number of their players.
“We know that United showed interest in Bale, Benzema and Varane,” Perez told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
Spain international Ramos appeared to be heading for Old Trafford in early August but eventually signing a new five-year contract at the Bernabeu.
Perez insisted he never doubted the defender would commit himself to the club.
“I never saw Ramos leaving this club,” he added. “He was never close to doing so. Manchester United meddled in the situation.
“Those who want to do harm to Real Madrid meddle but nothing really happened, nothing more than happens every summer.”
Perez’s claims are the latest in what has become a bitter fallout from the botched David De Gea transfer from Old Trafford to the Bernabeu.
The move collapsed after the necessary paperwork failed to be completed on time, with both clubs blaming the other.
And Perez cited United’s failure to land numerous players this summer as evidence of their inexperience in the market.
He said: “I think what they lack is experience. It happened before with (Fabio) Coentrao, exactly the same.
“And it happened with Ander Herrera and Athletic Bilbao. They have a new team and they lack experience.” — Mirror
derick.khumalo