Louis van Gaal Named 10 Players He Wanted Man Utd to Sign – What Happened to Them?

Louis van Gaal’s tenure as manager of Manchester United was not as gloomy and dreary as many people at Old Trafford made it out to be, when viewed through the lens of hindsight. His tenure was cut short just as the paint was drying on his achievements two days after Jesse Lingard’s emphatic winner at Wembley Stadium. The Dutchman stabilised a sinking ship following the nadirs that his predecessor David Moyes had dug up. He led the club back into the Champions League before adding an FA Cup to the trophy cabinet. However, his tenure was cut short just as the paint was drying on his achievements.

The hierarchy of the club mostly justified the dismissal of Van Gaal by referring to his rigid, possession-based style of play. Those in higher positions of the club regarded Van Gaal’s style as being dull and lacked the typical attacking flair that were desired by United fans. However, a cursory examination of the players he desired between the years 2014 and 2016, in comparison to the players he actually obtained, discloses a sobering narrative of how he was left to fight an uphill battle in one of the most difficult jobs in football.

Morgan Schneiderlin, Radamel Falcao, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was well past his expiration date, were among the fourteen players that Van Gaal was given with the responsibility of managing Manchester United during his tenure as manager. Nevertheless, what about the ones that he desired but never got, as reported by the Manchester Evening News? Theresa Lewandowski Robert
In Barcelona

Robert Lewandowski, a former striker for Barcelona
Over the course of a significant portion of the post-Ferguson era, those in charge of recruitment at Old Trafford have had a difficult time finding the optimal balance between the youthful promise and the seasoned experience of prospective players. Managers have been given players who are either too young to be certain of their potential or who have passed their prime, relying on their reputation rather than their ability. This happens far too frequently. A. Mane Sadio
It is Al-Nassr.
A. Mane Sadio
The inability of Manchester United to find players who are capable of keeping up with the pace of the Premier League is another one of the ongoing challenges that the club faces. It should come as no surprise that only a select few are able to meet the unrelenting requirements of the league that is widely regarded as the most difficult league in the world. Sadio Mane, on the other hand, was one of the few players who demonstrated a greater capacity for doing so. Prior to his move from Southampton to Liverpool in 2016, he came dangerously close to playing for the opposing team of England’s two most successful clubs.

His move to Anfield must have been a source of gratitude for the Senegalese international player, who has won the African Player of the Year award twice. It would have been difficult for him to have predicted the success that would follow under Jurgen Klopp in 2014, when both Liverpool and Manchester United were experiencing a losing streak in terms of trophy competition. But Mane finished his time on Merseyside having won both the Premier League and the Champions League. He had scored 120 goals, provided 40 assists, and made 269 appearances during his time there. Without a shadow of a doubt, he has cemented his position as one of the greatest African footballers of all time, and he is now able to be seen playing in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, which is not a bad thing.

Riyad Mahrez
Al-Ahli
Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring for Manchester City
That’s right, United overlooked two wingers they were recommended by Van Gaal who went on to help their biggest rivals to unprecedented success – the second being Riyad Mahrez. The Algerian star was an important part of Manchester City’s side that secured their historic treble in the 2022/23 campaign.

He became a household name in the Premier League during his time with Leicester City, playing an instrumental role in the Foxes’ Premier League triumph in 2016, featuring alongside N’Golo Kante and Jamie Vardy. He left England for Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ahli in 2023 with five Premier League winners’ medals to his name, and is yet another forward who will be sure to count their lucky stars that they never ended up wasting their talent under the guise of a club who talks the talk but has repeatedly failed to walk the walk.

Thomas Muller
Bayern Munich MixCollage-27-Sep-2024-08-47-PM-6963
Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that he too tried and failed to sign Thomas Muller, having been notified of his talents when the German was just 10 years old. Considering United’s greatest-ever manager couldn’t steal him from Bayern Munich, it was nearly impossible that Van Gaal could be the one to get the deal over the line.

The 35-year-old is the very embodiment of Bayern Munich, and while his often-underrated talents would have been a blessing for the Red Devils, there was little chance he would leave his comfortable life in Bavaria for the tough grind of Manchester. Thomas Muller is the epitome of a one-club man, having made 741 appearances for Die Roten at the time of writing, scoring 247 goals, providing 273 assists, and playing a pivotal role in 12 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League triumphs. He also ranks among the top for most assists in World Cup history, having helped Germany secure the 2014 World Cup.

A 26-year-old Robert Lewandowski, however, could have been the perfect antidote to this misguided method. Instead, he joined Bayern Munich in 2014, where he notched up 344 goals in 375 appearances and powered them to Champions League triumph. Now, at 36, he’s leading the charge for Barcelona, still proving his class as one of the greatest players never to win a Ballon d’Or – a generational talent and a glaring miss in United’s long and troubled search for a new No. 9.

Gonzalo Higuain Retired
Gonzalo Higuain
A brief glance at Gonzalo Higuain’s underwhelming spell at Chelsea might suggest that United’s hierarchy made the right call by ignoring Van Gaal’s recommendation to bring the Argentine to Old Trafford. However, there was once a time when the former Real Madrid and Napoli striker was regarded as one of the most respected forwards in the world.

He was a hard-working, opportunistic goalscorer, though he frequently faced criticism for disappearing in the big games. Whether he would have been a good fit for the Red Devils is still up for debate, especially when you consider that some of the world’s most promising attacking talents have floundered at Old Trafford – just ask Memphis Depay. However, in the years after his United snub, Higuain would become a serial Serie A champion with Juventus and become one of Inter Miami’s top goalscorers before hanging up his boots for the final time in 2022.

Neymar Santos
Neymar responds to Rivaldo
For many, Neymar is still regarded as one of the greatest modern footballers, outside of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi duopoly. For that reason alone, his arrival at Manchester United would have been a thrilling prospect. However, considering his £71 million move from his boyhood club Santos to Barcelona had only just been completed a season earlier, it was an unrealistic target for a club rapidly falling from its former heights.

After that, Neymar would go on to become one of the highest-paid footballers in the world while playing for both Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Hilal. He would also go on to win a Champions League with strike partners Messi and Luis Suarez. However, it is important to note that injuries had a big role in keeping him from completely fulfilling his enormous potential. He recently made the decision to have his career come full circle by returning to Santos at the beginning of 2025. This decision was made because he wanted to have his career go in a complete circle. John Milner James
The Albion of Brighton and Hove
John Milner James
Every successful team requires a player like James Milner. The experienced midfielder-turned-defender may not have been one to capture the headlines or score those dramatic goals, but his hard work ethic and tenacious efforts in the shadows allowed the surrounding stars to shine. A loyal and steady figure throughout Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp era, the Leeds-born veteran may have been the definition of modest, but his impact was anything from boring – his efficacy brought about a Premier League and Champions League after all.

Throughout football history, there have been innumerable system players who silently held everything together. Michael Carrick, during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, is a prime illustration of this, and Milner might have easily been his successor at Manchester United, had the club’s decision-makers not placed more emphasis on the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger at the time.

N’Golo Kante Al-Ittihad MixCollage-29-Mar-2024-07-38-AM-7857 N’Golo Kante Apologised for Gift at First Birthday Party he Attended
When Van Gaal first brought N’Golo Kante to his managers’ attention, he was a modest, energetic midfielder labouring in the shadows of French football at Caen. Before long, that unassuming young talent would make an unnoticed £5.6 million move to Leicester City, with no one realising the whirlwind that was about to unfold.

Kante would prove to be the heart and soul of Leicester’s miraculous 5000-1 Premier League title win, before claiming another league title with Chelsea, lifting a Champions League trophy, and helping France win the 2018 World Cup. In hindsight, he may very well be one of the most significant missed opportunities of the Van Gaal era.

Sergio Ramos Monterrey
Sergio Ramos celebrates
Given that Van Gaal was booed off stage by his superiors for employing a dull playing style, it’s somewhat surprising to discover that the Dutchman’s 10-player wishlist included only two defenders. But none were as far-fetched as the prospect of signing Sergio Ramos. Any offer for the no-nonsense Spaniard, who was in the midst of a glorious reign at Real Madrid, would have most likely been met with laughter. Real Madrid was in the midst of a glorious reign.

Ramos is currently finishing up his career in Mexico with Monterrey. He is currently in Mexico. Nevertheless, he will leave behind a legacy that is more impressive than the majority of others. The 38-year-old player, who is widely considered to be the best defender in the history of the Champions League, has won the title five times and has been selected to the FIFA FIFPRO World 11 an incredible eleven times. In spite of the fact that Ramos was a mentality monster and a serial winner, he was always destined to continue enjoying the wealth that comes with being a galactico rather than attempting to perform miracles at the Theatre of Dreams.

It is Rome, Mats Hummels.
The celebrations for Borussia Dortmund are led by Mats Hummels.
Mats Hummels is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished defenders in the annals of football history. He was a leader in addition to being a centre back. In an era that’s been lacking the likes of Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand, and Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United have long been craving a defender with the strength, presence, and passion of the 38-year-old.

It’s fair to say that players like Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo weren’t quite up to scratch back in 2014, while current defenders like Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans have done little to shore up the backline. Hummels could have provided United with a true leader in their defence, but was it realistic to expect him to leave Germany at that point? Probably not. Instead, he went on to win five Bundesliga titles before joining Roma as a free agent in 2024. He had also led Borussia Dortmund to a second Champions League final in the preceding decade, only to fall short against Ramos’ Real Madrid.