Former Manchester United coach Phil Neville has revealed that the Red Devils were interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi last season.
The French international has been an integral figure in PSG’s title winning campaign in the last two seasons. United’s then manager David Moyes had several transfer targets at the club and Matuidi was one of the players the Scot was keen on bringing him to Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old was facing a contract situation at the French capital and United were hoping to lure him to join them in before the start of the last season.
“We wanted to sign him. We’d heard his contract was running out and we were really interested in him”, Neville told BBC.
“Then he signed a contract with PSG, which was obviously something we weren’t happy with.
“We were looking at it at Man Utd last year to inject a little bit of energy. He runs from box to box and he carried the team forward simply through his energy on that left channel,” the former United player added.
Neville ended his playing career and moved up to the management and joined Moyes’ coaching staff when the latter moved to United. However, the Scot’s reign at Old Trafford ended in disappointment and the former Everton manager was sacked just 10 months into his six years contract.
After Moyes’ sacking, Neville also left United as they appointed Louis van Gaal as the Glaswegian’s successor.
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