Joel Glazer's questionable Man Utd transfer decision may come back to haunt him

19 April 2023 , 17:00

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Joel Glazer's questionable Man Utd transfer decision may come back to haunt him

Ivan Rakitic was once a transfer target at Manchester United - but he will now be out to inflict misery on them on Thursday night.

Had things gone Jose Mourinho's way, there's every chance Rakitic would have been lining up donning the red of United and pulling the strings in the middle of the park alongside the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, rather than against them.

Back when the self-proclaimed 'special one' was at the helm of the Red Devils, Mourinho was keen on the idea of securing Rakitic's signature while the midfielder was still plying his trade at Barcelona.

However, any deal that would have seen Rakitic join United would have meant Anthony Martial would have headed in the opposite direction. While Mourinho was more than willing to sign off on the arrangement, he encountered some friction from those above him.

Specifically from co-owner Joel Glazer, who is a huge admirer of Martial and refused to green-light his exit. As a result, Rakitic stayed at the Camp Nou before returning to Sevilla for a second spell in 2020.

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Three years later, Raktic's side are aiming to progress to the last four of the Europa League at the expense of Erik ten Hag's United in a development that would seriously leave United's co-owner red-faced.

Whatever happens on Thursday night, it is undeniable that Glazer made a costly error. Rakitic's career outshines anything Martial has managed to achieve at Old Trafford, with the Croatian Champions League winner picking up more than double the number of honours the Frenchman boasts. His decision to snub him may come back to haunt the Red Devils.

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Ivan Rakitic is aiming to knock Man United out of the Europa League with Sevilla

The two teams have already contested the first leg in Manchester, where two late own goals against United handed Sevilla a lifeline with the tie now evenly poised at 2-2 on aggregate.

Speaking ahead of the tie to Spanish publication AS, Rakitic talked up his team's chances of progression and suggested the fact that the majority of United's players haven't experienced a packed Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan will work in the host's favour.

Rakitic identified two of the current United crop that have already played there and claimed they will be fearful of what awaits them in comments that certainly read like he is out for revenge for the botched transfer all those years ago.

"De Gea or Casemiro, who have played here, will surely explain to them that this is something else. You get anywhere and they say that this is Sevilla's competition.

"They are going to have to suffer, I cannot guarantee that we will qualify but we are going to leave everything on the field."

Should United be eliminated, it would spell the end of their hopes of a hat-trick of trophies given they have already secured the Carabao Cup and have a meeting with Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.

Josh O'Brien