During an episode of Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, Robert Lewandowski shared a surprising revelation: he had agreed to join Manchester United back in 2012.
The Polish striker recounted that Borussia Dortmund’s president ultimately blocked the move. “Ask the club,” Lewandowski said when Ferdinand pressed him on the matter. “I remember speaking with Dortmund’s president.
He told me they needed me and wouldn’t sell me to Manchester United because I was too important for them. I was happy at Dortmund, but Manchester United was in their prime.”
That summer, Sir Alex Ferguson did manage to sign another Dortmund star, Shinji Kagawa.
The Japanese playmaker had thrived under Jürgen Klopp and became part of United’s last Premier League-winning squad. However, Kagawa struggled for consistency after Ferguson’s retirement and returned to Germany in 2014.
Lewandowski, meanwhile, soon outgrew Dortmund’s “Yellow Wall.” In 2014, he moved to Bayern Munich on a free transfer, where he established himself as one of the greatest strikers in Bundesliga history.
Despite falling short of Gerd Müller’s record 365 goals, Lewandowski’s achievements were extraordinary.
In 2022, he sought a new challenge at Barcelona. Thriving in La Liga, he spearheaded Barça’s title-winning campaign in 2023 and remains a lethal scorer, reinvigorated under Hansi Flick’s management.
