Manchester United and Real Madrid are two of the world's largest football clubs. Their legacy and history in the game are unparalleled, as the two teams have consistently molded the game's course and fielded some of the best players in football history.
The friendship between Los Blancos and the Red Devils is exceptional. The world is well aware of how Real Madrid assisted Manchester United in rebuilding following the Munich air tragedy. Following the sad calamity, Madrid's then-president, Santiago Bernabeu, assisted the English club in raising cash and rebuilding the team from scratch.
The two teams have also traded some of their greatest players. Cristiano Ronaldo is the first name that comes to mind. Other recent names are Casemiro and Raphael Varane. However, one legendary name may have been added to this list, but that did not happen.
United striker was close to a Real Madrid deal in 2010
In a recent essay for the British newspaper BBC, former England great and captain Wayne Rooney stated that he was searching for a move away from Manchester United in 2010 and had numerous choices.
Wayne Rooney was in no mood to sign a new deal with United after experiencing enormous success with the English club. The player told about the situation as follows:
"When I told Manchester United in 2010 that I did not want to sign a new deal and put in a transfer request, three clubs came in for me. Manchester City are often talked about as being one of them, but I don't think that was ever an option for me - the teams who made an approach were Chelsea, Real [Madrid] and Barcelona. In my head, I was ready to go and play in Spain and some talks did take place. A deal with Real [Madrid] looked more likely for a couple of days but it was Barcelona whom I thought about the most."
The center-forward was one of the most exciting attacking players in international football at the time. Rooney's career spanned over two decades and 764 games, with 313 goals and 165 assists. His transfer to Real Madrid would surely be a game changer, as he would not only reconnect with his old teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, but would also have the opportunity to shatter the net with him on a limitless number of occasions, just like the two did in Manchester.
However, not all moves are intended to occur. Not all destiny turn out to be favorable. The absence of Rooney from Madrid resulted in the rise of the famed three of Benzema, Bale, and Cristiano.