'Hopefully I've paid it back!' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nearly left Manchester United before famous Barcelona winner

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still has the fax in his possession, signed by then Manchester United chief executive Martin Edwards and Tottenham chairman Sir Alan Sugar. On it were the terms of a £5.5million deal that would have seen the Norwegian head to North London in 1998, needing only his approval to complete the set and finalise the transfer.

Those who recall a certain night in Barcelona a year later will put two and two together and know that Solskjaer never made the move. But it's hard to comprehend how close he came and how that might have changed the course of history.

United head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second game of their 2023/2024 Premier League campaign this weekend. They are no longer the only English side to win the treble, having seen Manchester City do so last season, but they may not have done it in the first place had Sir Alex Ferguson not said exactly the right thing in that summer 25 years ago.

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Solskjaer initially joined United for just under £2million in July 1996 after enjoying two good seasons in front of goal with Molde in his native Norway. He was only 23 at the time and a relative unknown outside of his own country.

Ferguson had been working hard to land Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers for several windows, but opted instead for the cheaper and riskier option. Shearer would join Newcastle United in a £15m deal the day after Solskjaer signed for United.

It was initially thought that Solskjaer might spend the early period of his United career as cover for Andy Cole and Eric Cantona, but the goals began to flow and as the 'baby-faced assassin'