Almost a decade later, the list of 10 stars that former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal wanted to bring to Old Trafford makes for interesting reading.
After taking the reins in 2014, Van Gaal was abruptly sacked in 2016, just days after winning the FA Cup. The Dutchman oversaw signings of Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay, Angel Di Maria, and Radamel Falcao, but has since admitted that they were not his top choices, stating in 2020 that he ended up with "third, fourth or fifth-choice players".
In an interview with FourFourTwo, he disclosed his ideal signings would have included proven world stars like Robert Lewandowski, Neymar and Sergio Ramos.
Here's what became of the players on Van Gaal's ambitious wishlist... READ MORE: Erik ten Hag could be condemned at United by a manager who has done more with less READ MORE: United signed the wrong player in the summer - what happened in Porto was inevitable During Van Gaal's era, United's attack was in flux, with Wayne Rooney nearing the end of his peak and Marcus Rashford just emerging.