Mateus Fernandes has joined Tottenham Hotspur despite being heavily linked with an Old Trafford move
Paul Gascoigne has often voiced his regret about joining Tottenham over Manchester United for the money.
Gascoigne was one of the most exciting talents in English football when Sir Alex Ferguson showed interest in signing the playmaker in 1988. The England icon was all set to join the Reds from Newcastle, but a late change of heart, driven by the superior financial package offered by Spurs, resulted in a U-turn, with 'Gazza' snubbing United.
A whopping 38 years later, Mateus Fernandes of West Ham has seemingly done the same. The midfielder was one of United's top transfer targets this summer, having held extensive discussions with club bosses in recent weeks, only to join the north Londoners in an £85million transfer.
FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE!Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page
Fernandes' decision raised eyebrows, given the Old Trafford side secured a Champions League place last season while Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League. It is understood that the Portuguese, like Gascoigne, accepted the better financial package, though reports suggest United were also unwilling to match the £85m sum Spurs were willing to offer up front.
But if Fernandes really was motivated by money, Gascoigne's tale is a cautionary one, as he has stated time and again that not joining United in 1988 was his biggest footballing regret. The 59-year-old admitted years later that, if it were possible to turn back the clock, he would have done things differently to achieve sporting success under Sir Alex.
Gascoigne said on The Rest is Football podcast: "Sir Alex Ferguson called us and said, 'I want to sign you' and I went, 'OK, I'll sign' so I went on holiday and he said, 'When you come back from holiday will you be at Old Trafford' and I said, 'Yeah', so I told my dad, 'I'm going to Old Trafford' and he said, 'Brilliant' then two days later the phone went and it was Irving Scholar (former Tottenham chairman)."
He explained that the promise of a bonus for his dad influenced both Gascoigne junior and senior to lean toward White Hart Lane. He added: "I said, 'Dad, it's Tottenham', and he said, 'Tell them to f**** off, you're singing for Man United', so I said, 'F**** off, I'm signing for Man United', so Irving says, 'Tell your dad I'll give him £120,000', so I said, 'Dad they're going to give you £120,000 if I sign for Tottenham' and he went, 'What are you waiting for then son?'"
In a shocking twist, Gascoigne then explained how it wasn't just financial incentive that sweetened the deal but the promise of gifts for his family - including a sunbed. He said: "I went, 'Oh yeah, I think I'm about to sign for Tottenham'. He (his dad) hadn't moved off the chair and he said, 'I want a BMW soft top with a private reg', so I rang Irving back and said, 'Can me dad have that?' and he said, 'Oh yeah, consider it done'.
"So I passed Old Trafford on the way (to Spurs), and I was worried but then as I got close I rang my sister and she said, 'Paul, if my mum is getting a house and dad's getting a car, then I want a sunbed', so the deal was done on the sunbed."
Gascoigne went on to become an icon at Spurs, winning the FA Cup in 1991. But the England hero still feels he would have been better served playing his best football for United - something he still deeply regrets.
He said in 2015: "Sometimes I do look back and think what would have been if… would I have won all those trophies. When I signed for Spurs, Man United became great, and they started winning everything. I look at that, and it's probably one of the regrets I have."
Sir Alex has also maintained that not signing Gazza was the biggest disappointment of his managerial career. That’s despite the Scot’s initial fury at the player's decision, having refused to speak to him for a considerable amount of time afterwards before patching things up.
Gascoigne recalled: "I went and signed for Spurs, and then I got fan mail. The first letter was from Sir Alex Ferguson. It wasn't a good letter. I got caned. I was like [to myself], 'I can't believe you turned down the biggest club.'"