'I snubbed Man Utd for Tottenham just like Mateus Fernandes - I massively regret it'
Mateus Fernandes has joined Tottenham from West Ham in an £85million deal, despite being pursued by Manchester United
Paul Gascoigne has repeatedly voiced his regret about choosing Tottenham over Manchester United for financial reasons. Gascoigne was among the most exciting talents in English football when Sir Alex Ferguson expressed interest in signing the midfielder in 1988.
The England icon was set to join the Red Devils from Newcastle, but a last-minute change of heart, influenced by the more lucrative financial offer from Spurs, led to a U-turn, with 'Gazza' turning down United.
A whopping 38 years on, West Ham's Mateus Fernandes has seemingly followed suit. The midfielder was one of United's priority transfer targets this summer, having held extensive talks with club officials in recent weeks, only to join the north Londoners in an £85million deal.
FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE!Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
Fernandes' decision raised eyebrows, considering the Old Trafford club secured Champions League qualification last season while Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League. It is reported that the Portuguese, like Gascoigne, opted for the superior financial package, although reports indicate United were also reluctant to match the £85m sum Spurs were prepared to pay upfront.
Yet, if Fernandes was driven by financial gain, Gascoigne's story serves as a stark warning, given that the former England midfielder has repeatedly stated that snubbing United in 1988 remains his greatest 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 father swayed both Gascoignes towards 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 startling revelation, Gascoigne then revealed how it wasn't just financial incentive that clinched 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 a legend at Spurs, lifting 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 admitted 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 significant period 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.'"