Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez recalled his conversation with one Manchester United legend and how he “100 per cent” knew that he would not come to Anfield.
Rafa Benitez arrived at Anfield in 2004 after he left Valencia, having previously led the Spanish club to two La Liga titles and a UEFA Cup.
The 64-year-old Spaniard crossed paths with legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson during his time in charge of Liverpool.
Benitez fell short of disrupting Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominance at the top of English football, but the former Reds boss did see success at Liverpool.
The ex-Inter Milan and Real Madrid manager famously led Liverpool to the Champions League trophy in 2005 after a famous comeback win against AC Milan.
Benitez, who also lifted an FA Cup with Liverpool, made his exit from Anfield in 2010 by mutual consent and went on to succeed Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.
Benitez’s failed move for Man Utd legend
Rafa Benitez made an appearance on the Stick to Football show alongside Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Jill Scott.
The former Liverpool manager revealed that he had spoken to Nemanja Vidic and wanted to bring the Manchester United legend to Anfield.
However, Benitez was in for a rude awakening when he spoke with Nemanja Vidic’s partner at the time and questioned why she kept “talking about Manchester.”
The ex-Everton and Napoli boss came to the realisation that United were “making a bigger offer” for Vidic and Liverpool couldn’t better the Red Devils’ approach.
“I was talking with Vidic before he signed for Manchester United. I knew 100 per cent he was not coming for us,” he said on The Overlap.
“When I was talking with him, he said, ‘Oh, you have to talk with my girlfriend, she talks English,’ and then she told me, ‘Oh, I like the cities like Manchester and Liverpool.’
“And I thought, ‘Why is she talking about Manchester?’ So, I knew already that United were making a bigger offer than us.
“We didn’t have the money to buy the players and we didn’t have the money to pay the players.
“That‘s why [I always say] for Liverpool it is so difficult to stay there for a while.”
Ferguson on signing Vidic for Man Utd
Nemanja Vidic arrived at Old Trafford in the 2006 January transfer window after United agreed a £7m transfer fee to sign him from Spartak Moscow.
The 42-year-old former United defender went on to captain the Red Devils and enjoyed incredible success at the Premier League club.
Vidic, who forged a memorable partnership with Rio Ferdinand, lifted five Premier League titles, a Champions League and three League Cups during his United spell.
Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that United legend Vidic was one of his best signings of all time after snapping up the Serbian for a “cheap” fee.
“I can’t remember what we paid for him now but, whatever it was, it was cheap,” he said, as per The Daily Mirror in 2011.
“Seven million pounds? Are you sure? I don’t think so. Euros maybe. I think it was Euros actually.
“Nemanja and Patrice Evra [who signed for United at the same time] found it difficult to settle in the first six months and it took them a while to settle.
“That happens to some players coming into the English game, they find it difficult, and none are the same.”
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