Klopp blocked! Lewandowski denied Man Utd transfer

Tom Weber

• 5 Apr 2023 16:50 BST
• 3 min read

Robert Lewandowski has revealed that Jürgen Klopp did his future club a huge favour while he was still at Borussia Dortmund.

Speaking to Sport Bild, the Polish striker claimed that he was being courted by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson when he was still an up-and-coming youngster at Dortmund.

"I remember the moment exactly," Lewandowski recalled. "We had a friendly with Dortmund in preparation, I think against Bochum. I was subbed at half-time. I looked at my mobile phone in the dressing room. There was a text message with the sender +44."

That sender? The legendary Manchester United coach: "Ferguson had tried to call me and then sent me a message. He wanted to talk to me. I was still in the dressing room, I took a shower and called him back, in a quiet corner. My English wasn’t as good as it is today. He has a strong Scottish accent. I was so focused on understanding what he meant! Alex Ferguson tried to be considerate, spoke slowly."

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Looking back as a 34-year-old, Lewandowski admits that the younger version of himself had his head turned by the call: "I was 22 years old, it was a special moment."

Klopp blocks move

The Dortmund hierarchy were, however, not prepared to sanction a move for their starstruck attacker. "I spoke to [Hans-Joachim] Aki Watzke and Jürgen Klopp in the camp. I wanted to go to Man Utd! But they said: 'No chance, Robert. We need you. You have to stay.'"

The rest, of course, is history - but history could have been very different had Klopp not blocked the move. Indeed, he did his future club, Liverpool, a huge favour by not strengthening one of their biggest rivals.

READ: How much would it cost Liverpool to sack Jurgen Klopp?

As for Lewandowski, now at Barcelona, it's fair to say that he has done quite well for himself regardless of his failed transfer to United.