Manchester United’s hit-and-miss recruitment has been a primary culprit of the club’s steep decline across all five managers who have failed to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. And the iconic Scot himself was at the centre of one of the biggest failures of the last decade, which saw Jude Bellingham evade Old Trafford.
United were the Premier League’s frontrunners for Bellingham ahead of his Birmingham City exit in 2020, standing alongside Borussia Dortmund as his two most likely destinations.
According to The Athletic, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enlisted Sir Alex to help lure Bellingham to the club during his visit to Carrington in March 2020.
The then-16-year-old toured the training complex with his family as he weighed up the options for his big move after breaking onto the senior scene at St Andrew’s.
It’s claimed that Solskjaer and his assistants had readied an analytical presentation to showcase their plans for Bellingham’s path to becoming a regular starter.
Ferguson’s presence was simply to sweeten the deal and push a move for one of the most exciting teenagers in Europe over the line.
However, John Murtough reportedly had other ideas and didn’t allow Ferguson to hold a conversation with the Bellingham family.
Instead, he limited the United legend to a brief greeting and shake of hands before hurrying the visitors along on their tour of the facilities.
The report adds that the decision left Ferguson furious, and the 81-year-old later gave Murtough a piece of his mind.
Murtough is said to insist it was a misunderstanding, and the Glazers and Ed Woodward named him the club’s first-ever football director a year later to prevent him leaving for Inter Miami.
United missed out on Bellingham’s signature; he opted for a £25million switch to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.
No 20, Bellingham has gone on to establish himself as one of the world’s best midfielders already.
He joined Real Madrid in a deal worth up to £115m in the summer, opting for the Santiago Bernabeu over Liverpool and Manchester City.
The Athletic note a lingering distrust, which scarred the relationship between Ferguson and Murtough after the Bellingham ordeal.
Ferguson reportedly went as far as to tell Richard Arnold to scrutinise Murtough’s position as football director during his review of United’s failing football operation last year.
He wanted Arnold to appoint Dan Ashworth, who is said to be Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s priority candidate to replace Murtough once his £1.3bn deal for a 25 per cent stake in United is ratified in the New Year.
