Moroccan Striker En-Nesyri Reportedly Turned Down Manchester United Move Years Ago

The Turkish press has just revealed that the player was about to join Manchester United several years ago, when José Mourinho was in charge of the Red Devils.

According to the daily Sabah, Mourinho, seduced by the profile of the young En-Nesyri who was then playing for Málaga, had tried to recruit him as early as the 2016-2017 season. The Portuguese coach, eager to strengthen his squad, had invited him to spend a month in England to discover the club’s environment.

But the Mancunian experience was short-lived. En-Nesyri, apparently disturbed by "the climatic conditions, especially the rain and low temperatures", decides to pack his bags and return to Spain. He then apologizes to Mourinho, thus putting an end to Manchester United’s hopes.

This episode, however, did not dampen José Mourinho’s determination. The "Special One" finally managed to secure En-Nesyri’s services during the last summer transfer window, bringing him to Fenerbahçe for a record amount of around 20 million euros. This transfer, the most expensive in the history of the Turkish championship, testifies to the confidence placed by Mourinho in the Moroccan player.

Despite this happy ending, En-Nesyri’s future in Turkey already seems uncertain. The Saudi club Al-Nassr has reportedly expressed interest and made two offers to convince the player to leave Fenerbahçe.