Thiago Alcantara has conceded that David de Gea tried to convince him to join Manchester United when it became known that he was leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2013.
The Spanish midfielder was heavily linked with a switch to David Moyes's United, but he eventually ended up completing a reported £18m switch to Bayern Munich.
However, Thiago has revealed that his compatriot De Gea was keen for the pair to play together at club level, as well as internationally.
"There was never any firm proposal [from United]. David de Gea wanted me to join. He wrote a message on my match ball after we'd beaten Italy in the [U21 European Championship] final," he told the Daily Mail.
"I'd have done the same with him. He is one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world. You always want to play with the best. But it was always going to be Munich."
The 24-year-old has since gone on to make 57 appearances for Bayern, scoring five goals.
Liam Apicella
