Manchester United’s leaked 2004 transfer target could have changed Premier League football history

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A leaked document has shown how close Manchester United came to signing a player who would’ve changed Premier League history.

A leaked document from 2004 has shown that Manchester United had an incredible list of transfer targets. The summer window came after Sir Alex Ferguson‘s side had missed out on the Premier League title to Arsene Wenger’s invincibles.

Ferguson did see his team lift the FA Cup however he remained eager to strengthen his team further and now the shortlist of targets has been released.

The document as reported by Mail Online, shows the five players Sir Alex had hoped to bring to Old Trafford. One name has caught the eye as it would have changed Premier League history.

United wanted Kompany

The list entailed three players United succeeded in signing, with two whom they did not. Gabriel Heinze, Gerard Pique and Alan Smith all arrived at the club.

However, United weren’t able to secure deals for the other two, namely Vincent Kompany and Philippe Mexes. But the Belgian will have been the miss that hurt most, given he went on to become world-class.

Kompany was then playing for Anderlecht and had just won the Belgian Footballer of the Year award, according to Transfermarkt. He stayed there until he joined Hamburg in 2006 before heading to our city rivals, Manchester City.

The centre-back then went on to become a Premier League legend for the Citizens, which makes not signing him in 2004 even worse, as it could’ve been a move which changed the course of Premier League history.

Kompany could’ve changed history for United

The current Burnley boss was an absolute revelation for City and his arrival coincided with the start of the trophy-laden years which have followed the takeover.

Four Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups and two Community Shields is quite the haul and without him, there are likely a few that City would’ve failed to win.

Mainly their 2012 Premier League title, which as we know all too well came down to the final day with Aguero scoring the crucial goal. Without Kompany and with the Belgian sitting in United’s defence we probably would’ve seen a far different story.

Kompany is without a doubt up there among the best defenders in the history of the league, it is a terrifying thought to think he could’ve been used next to and learnt from Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.