James Rodriguez Reveals Close Call with Manchester United Move
James Rodriguez is among several high-profile players who nearly joined Manchester United before opting for other teams in Europe.
The Red Devils are currently focused on strengthening their squad under Michael Carrick following a successful campaign that secured Champions League qualification.
Earlier this year, United officially completed a deal for talented Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco, who is expected to join the club this summer.
Now, another Colombian star has shared details about how close he once came to a move to Old Trafford.
Former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder James Rodriguez has disclosed that he was on the verge of joining Manchester United before ultimately choosing a different path.
These revelations surfaced from excerpts of his upcoming Netflix documentary shared by iMiaSanMia on X.
James explained that negotiations for a transfer to Manchester United were progressing until Bayern Munich entered the fray.
The Minnesota United midfielder admitted he initially doubted if he would receive regular playing time in Germany.
This concern stemmed from the presence of established stars at the club, including Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti reportedly played a crucial role in persuading him to change his course of action.
James suggested that Ancelotti personally advocated for him to join Bayern Munich rather than finalize a move to Old Trafford.
Eventually, he joined Bayern on loan from Real Madrid in 2017 and had a successful tenure in the Bundesliga.
During his time there, he won multiple league titles and became a key player under Ancelotti.
At that time, Manchester United were still in a rebuilding phase after the Sir Alex Ferguson era and remained very active in the transfer market.
James had gained recognition as one of the most highly-rated attacking midfielders in world football due to his standout performances for Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He later played for various clubs, including Everton, Olympiacos, and Sao Paulo.
James Rodriguez has now confirmed that a move to Manchester United almost materialized before Bayern Munich ultimately redirected the course of his career.