Lucas Moura, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur star, has disclosed that he came close to joining Manchester United before making a last-minute switch to PSG in 2012. The 33-year-old, now playing for Sao Paulo in Brazil, revealed the details in an interview with The Telegraph.
How the Transfer Nearly Happened
Moura, who won four Ligue 1 titles with PSG and played in the 2019 Champions League final for Tottenham, said he was all set to move to Old Trafford. However, a phone call from Leonardo, then PSG's director of football, changed his mind. “I was very close to joining Manchester United. It nearly happened but, at the last minute, Leonardo called me and spoke to me and my parents,” Moura said.
He added: “It was a very difficult moment because suddenly I had to make a choice when I thought I was joining Manchester United. I thought about it a lot; I talked about it with my family and I made my choice. Football is like that. You have to choose a team.”
Moura's Career Path
After starting his career at Sao Paulo, Moura attracted interest from top European clubs. He opted for PSG, where he spent six seasons before joining Tottenham for around £25 million in 2018. He made 221 appearances for Spurs over the next six years.
Current United Transfer Saga: Ederson
Manchester United are currently pursuing Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalanta, but the deal has hit complications. A £35 million fee plus £3.8 million in add-ons was agreed six weeks ago, but medical tests raised concerns about a knee injury Ederson sustained last season. Further tests were conducted last week, and United may restructure the deal.
Ederson was a late call-up to Brazil's World Cup squad and underwent part of his medical in the United States. After Brazil's elimination by Norway in the last 16, additional checks were performed. Sources in Italy claim the deal is off, with Atalanta ready to offer Ederson a new five-year contract. However, United have not ruled out proceeding with the signing.
