Rio Ferdinand has claimed Liverpool star Thiago asked him if he could help with a move to Manchester United.
Barcelona shockingly decided to sell the midfielder to Bayern Munich for £21.6million in 2013.
Manchester United had been heavily linked with a move for the Spaniard that summer before Bayern sealed a deal.
Ferdinand claimed Thiago called him personally to ask if he could put in a good word higher up the United hierarchy.
However, David Moyes, who had just taken over from Sir Alex Ferguson, and Ed Woodward turned down the 30-year-old's advances, instead signing Marouane Fellaini from Everton.
"Before Thiago left Barcelona he called me," Ferdinand told Vibe with FIVE.
"He speaks fluent English and we had played against Barcelona in the United States on tour and he was unreal. He played as the No.10 and he scored a worldie.
"So we knew about him anyway and few years later Moyes was manager. I don’t speak to Thiago, I don’t know him, but David De Gea gave him my number.
"So he [Thiago] rang me, and he said, ‘Rio, I would love to come to Man United, can you speak to someone?’
"He said to me, ‘I would like the opportunity to come to Man United, is there anybody that I could or you could speak to see the interest?’
"So I spoke to the people at the club… Moyes, it might have [also] been Woodward, I mentioned it. [They replied], ‘no, we’re already down the line with a couple of other signings, it’s fine.'
"I think he was given 24 hours, Thiago, to make a decision. He ended up ringing me up next morning again, ‘I’ve slept on it, can you let me know about Man United, what’s going on?’.
"I asked again and he said again, ‘I’ve got 24 hours to make a decision otherwise Pep won’t take me to Bayern Munich’.
"He ended up going to Bayern Munich, and the rest is history. But what a guy, great guy."
