Bayern Munich winger Ivan Perisic said that he was very close to signing for Manchester United. He was a top target for the club during Mourinho’s time in charge but now hopes to earn a long-term deal at Bayern Munich. Perisic says he was ‘very close’ to signing for Manchester United.
The Croatian winger joined Bayern on a season-long loan from Inter and the German side have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season. He became a popular name thanks to his performances in Euro 2016. He kept on performing consistently for the club as well as the national team, while helping Croatia reach the World Cup final last summer.
But Perisic says he wanted to move to Manchester United when he spoke to coach Jose Mourinho on the phone. Perisic says he was ‘very close’ to signing for Manchester United.
Speaking to the Athletic, Perisic said:
“How close was I going there? Very close. It was an amazing thing for me when Jose called me. It was difficult to say no to him. In fact, I really, really wanted to join him and play for United.
“It was a dream of mine to play in all the big leagues. But it didn’t happen. It was painful for me. But I don’t want to go into the details. I only found out myself the real reasons two years later.”
Although he knows he was not the Bayern’s first choice, he is confident he can keep impressing and earn a long-term deal with the Bundesliga giants.
