Manchester United have always been on the lookout for the next young stars, but often the club have been unable to close the deals.
Famously Manchester United came close to signing Jude Bellingham in 2020, while the club also came close to signing both Benjamin Sesko and Alphonso Davies as teenagers. United also had Gabriel Martinelli on trial at the club, but did not pull the trigger on a deal.
Moving to United at a young age is a gamble for players. And for some like Alejandro Garnacho it pays off, with the teenager scoring in the FA Cup Final in his second full season.
Others lack the bravery to move to United too early, and one player you can apply that to is former France international Jeremy Menez.
Jeremy Menez on his Manchester United near-miss
Now retired forward Jeremy Menez, 37, has been speaking about his close call with Manchester United when he was a teenager.
Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Menez says United pushed hard to sign him at the very start of his career, led by the great Sir Alex Ferguson.
Menez explained: “I almost signed for Manchester United when I was 16-17. I visited Old Trafford and Alex Ferguson went to Longjumeau with his staff, to visit my father and try to convince him.
“I was the one who had the last word and, in the end, I don’t regret signing as a professional at Sochaux.
“But I can still ask myself what my career would have been like if I had joined United at that time: obviously, I wouldn’t have been a starter when I arrived, but I would have joined the professional squad and then no one can know what would have happened.”
How it worked out for Jeremy Menez after Manchester United snub
Jeremy Menez made his Sochaux debut in 2004, at a time Manchester United were rebuilding under Sir Alex Ferguson, led by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2007, having won a first Premier League title since 2003, United added Carlos Tevez into the mix and went on to win two more successive titles, with a Champions League in between.
So the missed opportunity was likely more on Menez, but he could have also suffered a similar fate to the wonderfully talented Giuseppe Rossi, who was just blocked by superior attacking players at United at the time.
Menez signed for Monaco in 2006, before clinching a move to Roma in 2008. He earned the first of his 24 international caps for France when he was called up in 2010.
This led to a return to France with Paris Saint-Germain, and the best stint of Menez’s career, where he won two league titles, playing alongside future Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani in 2013-14.
The Frenchman was later signed by AC Milan, but his early career promise faded, spending his 30s at Bordeaux, Antalyaspor, Club America, Paris FC, Reggina, and Bari, before retiring in summer 2024.
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