Manchester United know what it’s like to miss out on a major transfer target – but it doesn’t always turn out to be a bad thing.
This summer, Man United have been on the lookout for a striker, with Viktor Gyokeres the main name being touted for a move.
But nothing has so far materialised and Gyokeres’ future instead looks to be with Arsenal in a huge blow for the Red Devils.
Reports in Portugal claim the striker, who is locked in a tug-of-war with Sporting Lisbon, has turned down the chance to join United.
And talkSPORT understands that he has instead told his family that he expects to be heading to the Emirates Stadium.
Missing out on their main man may seem on the face of things to be a major disappointment for the club.
However, if fans cast their mind back to 1998, they will find that plenty of success can still come after losing out on a key target.
Patrick Kluivert was supposedly on his way to United 27 years ago.
Kluivert was 22 years old at the time and Sir Alex Ferguson was competing against multiple European giants, including Arsenal, to bring him to the club following the World Cup.
He had the chance to join United from AC Milan, but he opted against the move and ended up signing for Barcelona instead.
That was something that enraged iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson and he spoke publicly about his disgust at the rejection.
He said, per the Independent: “It won’t be the last time this kind of thing happens, but players we really want we usually get.
Kluivert joined Barcelona after turning United downGetty Ferguson was left raging by Kluivert’s rejectionGetty“We were led to believe he wanted to speak to us, but you know what agents are like.
“Maybe he doesn’t know how big a club Manchester United is.”
Ferguson would then also mention Kluivert, who went on to spend six years at Barca, again in his autobiography a few years later.
He wrote in 1999: “When Patrick Kluivert, the gifted young Dutch centre forward, was so unimpressed by our approaches in 1998 that he wouldn’t even do us the courtesy of talking to us, I had no trouble believing that he was likely to be the bigger loser than we were.
“As I write, there is a growing mountain of persuasive evidence that the Dutchman’s indifference indirectly did us a huge favour.”
And Ferguson wasn’t wrong when he mentioned the evidence to prove that United may have been better off without Kluivert.
Sir Alex signed Yorke after Kluivert turned down a moveGetty ImagesAfter the rejection, the Red Devils ended up signing Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa instead – and the rest is history.
Without Kluivert in the front line, Yorke would go on to form a legendary partnership with Andy Cole and help United to an iconic campaign.
In the 1998/99 season, United would win a historic treble, lifting the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
And Yorke was the top scorer in all competitions with 29 goals.
Ferguson’s side would also then go on to win two more Premier League titles in 2000 and 2001 with Yorke up front.
He was the top scorer for United in the 1999/2000 season too.
Kluivert didn’t experience many title wins with BarcaGetty Meanwhile, Yorke became one of United’s best ever strikers, playing alongside ColeGettyOf course, Kluivert also went on to succeed in his own career, becoming a Netherlands icon and starring at Barcelona.
He scored 122 goals in 257 games for the Spanish giants after opting to join them over United.
But the ex-forward only managed to win one trophy across his entire time at the club, a poor tally that he would have easily beaten if he had decided to head to Old Trafford.
Despite Ferguson’s clear distaste for Kluivert, he did reportedly look at signing him again in the early 2000s.
But for the second time, a move didn’t materialise, with a transfer to Newcastle United coming following the expiry of his contract at the Camp Nou.
The connection between Kluivert and Man United would continue on though, even after his retirement from football.
Kluivert’s son has also rejected a move to Man UnitedGettyIn 2018, Justin Kluivert, his son, also rejected a move to Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho was said to want to bring Kluivert to United from Ajax, but he opted to sign for Roma instead.
And his father explained the thinking behind his son following in his footsteps, saying: “I’m very satisfied with what he is doing.
“A job that would have been difficult. I think United would have been too big a jump. Roma is an important club, but the pressures are lower.”
Kluivert Jr. would go on to join Bournemouth five years later.
On top of that, Kluivert Sr. would then reveal that he could have become United’s assistant manager a few seasons ago.
He had the opportunity to be number two to Louis van Gaal, a role he took up under Van Gaal for the Netherlands.
But again, in now seemingly typical Kluivert family fashion, he decided not to take up the chance.
Instead, he became manager of the national team of Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island.
He said, via the Guardian: “Louis wanted to have Ryan Giggs in my position and I could understand his decision. He wanted someone who knows the club very well.
“He also said to me: ‘Patrick, it’s now time for you to stand on your own feet,’ and that’s why I didn’t join Manchester United.”
The Kluivert conundrum proved that success at a club doesn’t come directly from signing first-choice transfer targets.
And now 27 years on, Man United will hope for a similar turnaround in fortunes should they miss out on Gyokeres this summer.
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