Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turned down Tottenham move after ex-Man Utd boss had private chat

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on the verge of leaving Manchester United for Tottenham in 1998 before someone convinced him to stay put

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could have ended up in a Tottenham shirt had it not been for a crucial intervention back in 1998. Instead, the Norwegian remained at Manchester United and etched his name into the club's folklore by netting the decisive goal in the 1999 Champions League final.

That unforgettable season saw Sir Alex Ferguson's squad claim an historic treble, making it one of the most remarkable campaigns in English football. Solskjaer would go on to spend the remainder of his career at United, hanging up his boots at Old Trafford in 2007 aged 34. But nine years earlier, he'd faced a difficult choice.

Spurs had struck an agreement with United, only for Sir Alex to throw a spanner in the works at the last moment. "Everything was agreed. The two clubs had signed and were just waiting for me. It was that close," Solskjaer revealed in an interview back in November 2010.

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"The gaffer called me into his office and closed the door. He said the conversation was just going to be between the two of us. He told me I would be a big part of his squad and he didn't want me to go.

"If he had said all the best in your career, I would have gone. But he wanted me to stay and so I signed. Hopefully I paid back the £5.5million that had been agreed with Spurs. But it is strange now to look at that fax."

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United's chief executive Martin Edwards and Tottenham's chairman Sir Alan Sugar had both put their names to that fax confirming the transfer. All that remained was Solskjaer's signature, but Ferguson had different plans.

Just 12 months on from nearly leaving United, Solskjaer would feature in one of the most memorable moments in football history. The Norwegian scored against Bayern Munich in extraordinary fashion.

His legendary reputation from that evening in '99 faced scrutiny when he assumed the caretaker manager position in 2018 following the Red Devils' split with Jose Mourinho.

But he subsequently secured a permanent contract with the club in 2019, only to be was dismissed in 2021. Notably, Michael Carrick, who is currently the interim manager at United, stepped in as temporary boss when Solskjaer departed.

United stated at the time: "It is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision. While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success. Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as manager and our very best wishes for the future."

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