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I agreed to leave Man United for Tottenham – then Sir Alex Ferguson called me into his office

Manchester United almost sold one of their most treasured stars to rivals Tottenham before Sir Alex Ferguson stepped in to correct course

By Tom Sunderland · Manchester Evening News

Published: Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 5:30 AM

Key Things to Know

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nearly signed for Tottenham before Sir Alex Ferguson intervened to convince him to stay.
Manchester United and Tottenham had agreed on a £5.5 million permanent transfer fee before the move fell through.
Solskjaer chose to remain at Old Trafford and scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed he came close to joining Tottenham Hotspur before Manchester United's 1999 Treble-winning campaign. Both clubs had agreed upon a £5.5 million permanent transfer fee, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson stepped in privately to urge the Norwegian striker to stay at Old Trafford.

Following Ferguson's personal reassurance that he remained a vital part of the squad, Solskjaer rejected the move. He went on to spend 11 years at Manchester United, scoring 126 goals across 366 appearances and securing nine major honors, including the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final.

Read the full article on Manchester Evening News

I agreed to leave Man United for Tottenham – then Sir Alex Ferguson called me into his office

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