La Liga expert Graham Hunter has revealed that Manchester United were in pole position to sign both Nicolas Otamendi and Pedro, but that hesitance to push through deals scuppered moves for both.
The Argentine defender and the Spanish attacker joined Manchester City and Chelsea respectively this week, despite having been heavily linked with moves to Old Trafford for much of the summer.
Otamendi was thought to be keen on a move to United not so long ago, while reports had claimed that a deal between the Manchester giants and Pedro had been agreed.
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However, City and Chelsea moved in late to snap up both players, leaving Louis van Gaal’s side red-faced with just over a week of the transfer window remaining.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Hunter claimed that he’s baffled by the whole situation, with United having been in pole position to sign both players:
“Chelsea enquired about Pedro at the start of the summer, but Mourinho thought the deal had got away from him as Manchester United were significantly in the lead – and that has to tell you something about their dithering and their decision making.
“There is no question whatsoever that United could have sealed the deal before Chelsea came back in for him.
“United needed to make Pedro feel wanted. They could have said, ‘right, Barcelona want €30million and won’t budge, so we’ll pay it. We’ll pay it upfront because we want you’. But they didn’t do that.
“Pedro increasingly felt that if they wouldn’t pay the money and he goes there, that he maybe wouldn’t be playing.
“Look at Ander Herrera, and he went the United for more money – that was playing on Pedro’s mind. United didn’t make him feel wanted and that was their choice.
“And with Otamendi – when United went in for him last Christmas I thought they would get him, so when City got him it’s just another trumping of the planning or decision making at Old Trafford.
“It baffles me. We knew for months that he was going to the city of Manchester, and it baffles me that United have sat on their hands again and allowed their close rivals to go and do that deal.
“It’s a shrewd signing for City, fantastic business for the right price, but why were they allowed to sail in for him at the very last minute?”
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