LOUIS VAN GAAL revealed a 10-man shortlist of failed transfers during his time at Manchester United.
The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford in 2014 and took charge over two seasons in a period where he spent £150million.
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He signed Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo – but they were not the only targets.
Van Gaal wanted superstars including Neymar and Robert Lewandowski – and even surprise names like James Milner.
He told FourFourTwo: “I wanted Robert Lewandowski, but when this proved difficult I tried to get Gonzalo Higuain instead.
“Before I had arrived, I also spoke with the board about Neymar. If you are at United, you have to think big.
“He was also interesting for the club in terms of selling shirts, and I wanted to have quick wingers.
“For that reason, I also tried to get Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez.
“Thomas Muller was on my wish list, too, and in central midfield I wanted N’Golo Kante.
“I even tried to sign James Milner, who was already quite old but very multifunctional and possessed leadership skills.
“For the defence, I wanted Sergio Ramos and Mats Hummels, because ours wasn’t the strongest in building from the back.”
Van Gaal won just the FA Cup with United, and fell out with several players, including Di Maria – a record English signing at the time.
But the 69-year-old opened up on frustration having being excluded from negotiations and questioned United’s transfer policy.
He explained: “Those were my top targets, but we couldn’t get any of them.
“I don’t know why, because as the manager I wasn’t involved in any negotiations.
“After I left, players like Mahrez and Kante ended up at Manchester City and Chelsea, while United couldn’t get them. I found that very odd.”
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