“I got sold from Manchester United to Barcelona”

Earlier this year, former Manchester United star David Beckham revealed that he was close to joining Barcelona before eventually ending up at Real Madrid.

Beckham came through the ranks at Manchester United and spent a huge chunk of his professional career at the club. However, after 11 trophy-laden seasons with the senior team, Beckham joined Real Madrid, where he added more silverware to his illustrious career.

Before Los Blancos acquired his services, Barcelona were in the picture, with Beckham explaining that United had agreed to a deal with the Catalan club for him. However, he opted against the transfer, insisting that he only wanted a ‘dream’ move to the Spanish capital.

“My team was always Real Madrid and funnily enough I got sold from Manchester United to Barcelona,” Beckham told CBS Sports. “I was on holiday, Peter Kenyon [ex-Man Utd chairman] phoned me and he said: ‘We’ve accepted a bid from Barcelona and we’re selling you’. I said: ‘If you are going to sell me, the only team I want to move to is Real Madrid’, because I always had a dream of playing for Real Madrid when I was a young kid.

“I never thought I’d leave Manchester United but if I did, you know, I’d love to have played for Real Madrid. And if they wanted me to leave then the only club that I wanted to go to was Real Madrid.

Beckham went on to add:

“Funnily enough, in a day and a half, it happened.”

As per multiple reports, David Beckham left United in 2003 due to a deteriorating relationship with then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The legendary manager later confirmed the claim in his 2013 autobiography, writing that ‘David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson,’ which led to selling him to Real Madrid.

When David Beckham said he ‘didn’t watch Manchester United for three years’ after Real Madrid move

Back in 2017, David Beckham revealed he didn’t watch Manchester United for three years after leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid because he was ‘shocked and devastated’ over his departure.

“I didn’t watch Manchester United for three years [after leaving],” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. “I was shocked and devastated because we had just won the league that season. [without a doubt I wanted to retired at Old Trafford] Because Manchester United were my team. I had no aspirations to leave United.

“There was never any revenge. I was hurt and angry at the time at how the situation had gone because throughout the season I was left out of certain games but never thought it would lead to me leaving.”

During his time at Old Trafford, David Beckham won six Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy among others. He was also a member of the club’s famed Class of ’92.