FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has disclosed that he once came close to joining Manchester United during his time at Borussia Dortmund. Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the Polish forward shared details of a conversation he had with legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2012.
“I remember having a talk with Sir Alex Ferguson,” Lewandowski recalled. “It was 2012. He called me, and I was considering a move to the Premier League at the time.”
When Ferdinand asked if he nearly signed for United, Lewandowski confirmed, saying, “I decided to join Manchester United at that moment.”
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
He further detailed how the interaction unfolded:
“Before preseason, we were playing some games, and I knew he would call me. At halftime, I was substituted because I was only playing 45 minutes. That’s when I got the call.”
Lewandowski admitted feeling nervous during the phone call, particularly due to Ferguson’s iconic Scottish accent and his own limited English skills at the time.
“I was very nervous. He called and said, ‘Hello, this is Alex Ferguson.’ I replied, ‘Yes, hello…’ but I struggled to fully understand because of his Scottish accent!”
Despite the conversation, the move never materialized, and Lewandowski remained at Dortmund before eventually joining Bayern Munich and later Barcelona in 2022. The Catalan giants paid Bayern Munich €50 million ($52 million) to secure the prolific striker, who has since become a key player for the team.