Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal’s list of 10 stars he wanted to light up Old Trafford makes for interesting reading nearly a decade on.
Van Gaal arrived at United in 2014, becoming the first man outside the British Isles to be handed the reins of one of England’s most successful clubs. However, his two-year spell in charge didn't entirely go to plan and he was unceremoniously sacked in 2016 – just two days after winning the FA Cup final
The Red Devils didn't stand still during Van Gaal's time in charge, however, and brought in the likes of Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay, Angel Di Maria, and Radamel Falcao. Yet the Dutchman simply wanted better – claiming in 2020 that United only got "third, fourth or fifth-choice players."
He revealed to FourFourTwo that if he had his way, the club would have been led by Robert Lewandowski and Neymar, with Sergio Ramos to shore things up at the back. Mirror Football takes a look at Van Gaal’s full shopping list and where they are now.
Robert Lewandowski
United's forward line was going through a transitional phase during Van Gaal's time in charge, with Wayne Rooney's stay fading and Marcus Rashford only new on the scene. The arrival of Lewandowski would have been a landmark signing. "I inherited an old team that hadn't been refreshed for some time,” Van Gaal stated. “I wanted to rejuvenate the squad with players who would bring the same kind of quality."
Such quality would likely have been brought to the table by the great Polish striker, who was still starring for Borussia Dortmund before he rebuked any interest from England to make his move to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in 2014.Who knows what his goal-tally would have looked like if he had been given a chance in the Premier League? Now with Barcelona, he continues to rip things up domestically and has 600 senior goals to his name for the club and country.
Gonzalo Higuain
“When this [signing Lewandowski] proved difficult, I tried to get Gonzalo Higuain instead,” Van Gaal recalled when reciting his list. Like the Polish marksman, Argentinian ace Higuain was at the peak of his powers during Van Gaal’s reign. He was regarded as one of Europe’s premier strikers and was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford.
Having previously shone for Real Madrid and Napoli, Higuain declined a Premier League switch in favour of a move to Juventus in 2016 for a then-Serie A record £75million. He eventually tasted English football during an unsuccessful loan spell with Chelsea in 2019, but hung up his boots in 2022 after failing to replicate his prime form as his career fizzled out.
Neymar
The most ambitious of the Dutchman’s requests – recruiting then-Barcelona superstar Neymar would have been a tall order, to say the least. The Brazilian was thriving during Van Gaal and United's supposed interest. The Dutch boss also argued that Neymar “was also interesting for the club in terms of selling shirts.”
A year after the Red Devils relieved Van Gaal of his duties, Neymar made the transfer that defined modern football - a £200m switch to PSG. His time in the French capital ended last year, and he is now sidelined with an ACL tear after moving to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
Sadio Mane
“I wanted to have quick wingers” was another of Van Gaal’s claims, and when it quite obviously became apparent that a player of Neymar's stature could not be afforded, Sadio Mane's name supposedly entered contention. The Senegalese star was still in his Southampton heyday during Van Gaal’s reign and, just a month after he would depart, Mane snubbed United and joined their rivals Liverpool for £34m – a relative bargain taking into account his future exploits.
Mane's achievements at Liverpool need no introduction, with the pacey forward forming a trifecta of attacking talent alongside Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino during Jurgen Klopp's golden era. He helped the Reds win the Champions League and the Premier League and will go down as an all-time Anfield hero. Now, like Neymar, plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, the 32-year-old’s career could have taken an entirely different path had he been lured to Manchester instead of Merseyside.
Riyad Mahrez
Another of Van Gaal’s targets out wide, Algerian ace Riyad Mahrez spearheaded Leicester City’s unlikely title triumph the same season United's then-boss got the sack.
Still with the Foxes when the Red Devils supposedly wanted him, Mahrez jumped ship from the King Power to join United's arch rivals, Manchester City, in 2018 in a £60million move. After a stellar spell at the Etihad, which included four Premier League titles and a Champions League and a continental treble, he also moved to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ahli in July 2023.
Thomas Muller
Van Gaal also hoped to launch an ambitious raid on Bayern Munich for stalwart star Thomas Muller. The great German, a product of the Bavarian club’s youth system, saw his name linked with a range of top clubs throughout his career, including United, but declined every time. He reportedly refused Van Gaal's approaches twice.
With over 700 senior appearances to his name for Bayern - which extends to over 800 if youth and reserve matches are taken into account - Muller will go down as one of the Bundesliga giant’s all-time greats. He remains an important part of the Bayern machine at the age of 35 but has since retired from international football after notching 131 caps for Germany.
N'Golo Kante
It wasn’t just attacking aces that Van Gaal targeted during his time at Old Trafford. He also wanted to poach another of Leicester’s title-winners in N’Golo Kante,
The combative Frenchman would no doubt have transformed United's midfield had he been recruited, but Chelsea won the race for his £32m-rated man the same summer Van Gaal was shown the exit door. He won the Champions League and FA Cup at Stamford Bridge, among other honours, before leaving last year for – you guessed it – the Saudi Pro League and Al-Ittihad.
James Milner
One of the more surprising names on this list, perhaps, but Van Gaal admitted he “even tried to sign James Milner, who was already quite old but very multifunctional and possessed leadership skills.” Having proven a brilliant servant to a range of Premier League clubs, Milner landed at United's city rivals in 2010. It would likely have been during his final season at the Etihad that van Gaal would have requested the chance to recruit the versatile midfielder.
Instead, another of United's rivals would yet again reap the rewards of the Red Devils’ reluctance, as Liverpool swooped for Milner in 2015. The rest, as they say, is history. Milner, who moved to Brighton last year at the age of 38, could've provided much-needed experience and versatility to United's squad – had Van Gaal gotten his way.
Sergio Ramos
Signing Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos at his peak could have helped stready the foundations of a United backline which still stutters to this day. Maybe Van Gaal was on to something.
Ramos commanded the Bernabeu for 16 years, starring domestically and for Spain. He remained with Los Blancos long after Van Gaal’s exit, denying rumours in 2016 that he was willing to quit the Spanish club for a move to long-time admirers United - eventually leaving in 2021 for a stint with PSG.
He would later return to his boyhood club, Sevilla, where his contract was terminated in June of this year. Though he announced his retirement from international football last year, Ramos has not yet opened up about his plans at the club level.
Mats Hummels
The final name on a long list of stunning talent, which no doubt would also have cost United an arm and a leg, was German centre-half Mats Hummels. Much like Ramos, his acquisition would have helped United in a big way defensively.
Hummels was in his first spell with Borussia Dortmund when he would have first caught the eye of Van Gaal. But the towering central defender chose boyhood club Bayern over a move to Old Trafford in 2016. He returned to Dortmund in 2019 and is now with AS Roma after joining as a free agent in the summer.
“We couldn't get any of them,” was Van Gaal’s painful admission as his list concludes. “I don't know why. It surprised me, even though I understand that clubs hold out for the highest fee because they know United are the richest in the world. At the same time, though, if you are the richest, you'd expect to get what you want.”