A former Manchester United scout has revealed how the club ignored several recommendations to sign Chelsea star Christian Pulisic.
Pulisic first made his name at German side Borussia Dortmund, after graduating to the senior squad in 2016 from the club’s youth set-up.
He went on to score 19 goals in 127 appearances for the club before joining Chelsea in the 2019 January transfer window for £58million.
After a slow start to this season, the 21-year-old eventually scored 10 times and claimed 10 assists for the Blues.
But according to Jorge Alvial, things could have been very different for Pulisic had the Old Trafford club listened to his recommendation.
"When I first got hired one of the people that I recommended right away was Pulisic because I knew him and his background," he told M.E.N. Sport.
"I knew how well he was developing in Dortmund and he was just going to keep coming up, and become a superstar because he was doing very well.
"I have always believed in him, we always have kept close contact with his father, and I called him to say I was recommending him to Manchester United.
"So it was many times that I did recommend him, but at the same time because I was only doing North America, it wasn't my region because he was playing in Germany. We all had a list (of targets) and I had him first along with Alphonso (Davies).
"Highly, highly recommended for them to sign him, and I know also the German scout was very into him, he really liked him too.
"It wasn't a case of 'look at this kid', it was 'sign this kid'."
Before Alvial continued: "When I recommend a player usually it is an example of a player that I feel has tremendous potential.
"For Pulisic I jumped many levels that we are supposed to do and I went directly to the head scout and said: 'Listen, this player is extraordinary we need to see him right away and we need to make a decision right away because if we don't someone else is going to see him, and is going to beat us,' which has also happened with Alphonso (Davies)."
