“I had everything closed” – Forward opens up on failed Manchester United transfer, only made him “stronger”

Former Argentina international Eduardo Salvio has now revealed he came close to joining Manchester United earlier in his career.

The winger is currently plying his trade at the Mexican side, UNAM. He spent nine years [between 2010 and 2019] in Europe with Atlético Madrid and Benfica, joining the Portuguese side on a permanent deal in 2012 and left them in 2019.

During the 2014/15 season, Salvia had impressed for Benfica, scoring 13 goals and registering 11 assists.

This had convinced Manchester United and they had even made a firm approach in securing his services in the summer of 2015.

A Bola sat down for an interview with the 32-year-old, where he revealed his move to Old Trafford was close. However, the transfer collapsed after he suffered a serious knee injury on the last day of the 2014/15 season.

“I had everything closed to go to Manchester United. But in the last game, I think that against Marítimo [on May 23 2015, he was replaced in the 74th minute by Mukhtar, in what was Benfica’s title game, played at Estádio da Luz], I got injured in the knee,” Salvio said.

“Everything was closed and I had to accept it, but these are things that happen and that make us stronger.”

In the summer of 2015, Manchester United signed Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial to bolster their attack for the 2015/16 season, with those two transfers working out very differently, while Salvio continued at Benfica for another four years.