'Man Utd had agreed record deal to sign me – but I'm glad I waited for Liverpool instead'

'Man Utd had agreed record deal to sign me – but I'm glad I waited for Liverpool instead'

Manchester United missed out on what would have been a new record signing after he opted to join bitter rivals Liverpool instead

Markus Babbel could have gone down in Manchester United history but opted to join Liverpool instead. However, the German harbours no regrets over his decision after learning what the Red Devils had in store for him at Old Trafford.

It was a brave decision considering Babbel, 53, had already seen up close what United were capable of. He was part of the Bayern Munich team that suffered an iconic last-gasp defeat to Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the 1999 Champions League final.

But rather than join his tormentors, the Germany full-back opted to jump at a chance for revenge with United's biggest rivals. Babbel's choice makes a little more sense when one considers Ferguson supposedly had a change of position in mind.

"[I was] very close [to joining United]. At this time, it was a record fee, nobody had ever been signed for that fee before," he told the Liverpool Echo back in 2022. "It was 14million German marks at the time.

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"I was talking to United, but my agent said to me, 'Listen, Markus, there is something wrong. They are willing to pay this much on your transfer fee, but your salary is okay, nothing more. With this money on the transfer fee, they should be paying a lot higher wages'.

"I said, “Okay, I don't have to leave if it's not right, I'm happy to stay at Bayern Munich'. It’s a fantastic club and afterwards, with hindsight, I'm so happy it didn't happen. They wanted to sign me as a centre back, but I wasn't the best at centre back!

"In Germany I always played with three at the back, so it was a different game for me: three versus two centre backs. The right side was the perfect position for me in that United back four, but they had Gary Neville, one of the greatest right-backs at the time. I'm so glad I listened to my agent and waited to go to Liverpool."

United had in fact tried to sign Babbel for several years and were first reported making an approach in 1997. And he made his feelings clear at the time that he was not happy with a wage offer he found derisory.

"I am already at a top club," said Babbel at the time having received United's offer, which was understood to be worth half the £30,000 a week he was seeking. "I don't have to go begging on my knees to anyone."

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Babbel spent four years at Liverpool, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup in 2001 before leaving the club three years later. As fate would have it, Rafa Benitez went on to secure the Champions League crown in his first season at the helm after replacing Gerard Houllier in 2004, the same summer in which Babbel left.

After winning a fourth and final Bundesliga title in 2007, Babbel retired at Stuttgart, where he eventually became manager. He's gone on to coach the likes of Hoffenheim, Hertha Berlin and Western Sydney Wanderers but hasn't held a management role since 2020.

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