Robert Lewandowski Admits He Was Ready to Sign for Man Utd in 2012

Robert Lewandowski has shed some more light on coming close to joining Manchester United in 2012, saying he felt 'ready' to make the move before Borussia Dortmund pulled the plug.

Lewandowski has been one of the best out and out strikers in the world throughout the past decade and only seems to be getting better. He's 32 now and just beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the FIFA Men's Best Player Award for 2020.

In 2012, he was just beginning his ascent to the very top and had the world at his feet after a 30-goal season helped BVB to a second successive Bundesliga title.

It wasn't until 2014 that he moved on to Bayern Munich, but his prolonged stay at Dortmund wasn't for the want of trying from Europe's biggest clubs. United, preparing for what would be Sir Alex Ferguson's final season at the club, were keen and the interest was mutual.

“After my second year in Dortmund, I had a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson," Lewandowski said in an interview with France Football. "He wanted me in Manchester.

"I was very interested. I can even say I was ready. But Dortmund did not want to let me go. That didn’t upset me very much because things were going well with Dortmund.”

News of the move that could not be is no new development. It's something the Poland striker has spoken about openly in the past, admitting earlier this year that he was honoured the legendary Ferguson took notice of his talents.

Lewandowski told The Guardian back in February: “I was speaking with him [Ferguson] after two years at Dortmund and at that time I was really thinking about a move, because of Ferguson and because of Manchester United.

“Borussia Dortmund said: ‘No, that’s that.’ That was the first time I was thinking about the move because if you get a phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson, for a young player it was something amazing. That was a special day for me.”