Ajax star turned down Man Utd after Erik ten Hag tried to sign him over WhatsApp

Erik ten Hag resorted to sending Brian Brobbey a WhatsApp message to try and convince him to join Manchester United but the youngster's mind was already made up

13:02, 24 Aug 2022

Erik ten Hag managed Brian Brobbey at Ajax(Image: MAURICE VAN STEEN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Ajax star Brian Brobbey has revealed he rejected the chance to sign for Manchester United after former boss Erik ten Hag tried to sign him over WhatsApp.

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The free-scoring Dutch forward, 20, returned to his boyhood club after a 12-month stint at RB Leipzig in the summer transfer window with the Eredivisie champions forking out an initial £14million, potentially rising by a further £2.5m with bonuses, to bring Brobbey back to Amsterdam.

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The youngster made just nine appearances for the Saxony side in the early stages of the 2021/22 campaign before Ten Hag brought him back to the Johan Cruyff Arena for the second half of the season, where he rattled in seven goals in 11 league matches.

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Keen to continue Brobbey's development in Manchester, the newly appointed Red Devils manager tried to convince him to move to England via a message on WhatsApp but the Netherlands youth international politely declined the offer.

"I absolutely wanted to come back to Ajax,’ Brobbey told Dutch outlet Voetbal International. "Erik [ten Hag] also wanted to work with me again, he texted me once to see if I was open to it."

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"But I thanked him nicely and told him I wanted to go back to Ajax. My friends are here, Ajax’s playing style… it just wasn’t finished yet. I first have to really succeed here as a striker in the Ajax first team.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Was Brobbey right to snub a move to Man Utd? Let us know in the comments section.

Brian Brobbey snubbed a move to Man Utd to return to Ajax on a permanent deal(Image: ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

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"That's also how the past six months have felt, when I played here on loan. After that, I really had the feeling that I needed to come back."

Despite falling short in his pursuit of Brobbey, Ten Hag has finally been able to acquire a central midfielder - his top priority during the transfer window. Man Utd have confirmed the arrival of Casemiro from Real Madrid in an eye-watering £70million deal with the Brazilian unveiled prior to their 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Liverpool.

Now with just eight days until the window slams shut on September 1, attention now turns to addressing the top end of the pitch. After bagging Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia from the Eredivisie, Ten Hag is keen to raid his homeland once more for Antony, though negotiations with former club Ajax are proving arduous as the Amsterdam side are holding out for £85m.

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