'Erik ten Hag called' - Brian Brobbey confirms Manchester United talks amid Arsenal 'competition'

Manchester United had previously tried to hijack Brian Brobbey's transfer prior to his return to Ajax

In-demand Ajax star Brian Brobbey has revealed he was approached by Manchester United - but opted for a move to Ajax over joining Erik ten Hag's side in 2022.

The 21-year-old is being linked with a move to Old Trafford again this month, after scoring eight goals in 15 Eredivisie appearances. Brobbey is back in form in Holland after a difficult loan spell in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig where he registered just three assists in 14 appearances.

He had worked with Ten Hag at the Johan Cruyff Arena, scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances, and with the Dutchman's right-hand man Mitchell van der Gaag with the under-21s, scoring 16 in 30. In the midst of the hunt for Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement, MEN Sport reported that United could hijack his return to Ajax from RB Leipzig in 2022.

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And in an interview, Brobbey has confirmed the interest from Man United but admitted that he had his heart set on a return to Amsterdam.

"Erik ten Hag called me and said that at United, my agent would get millions of euros and I could earn a multiple of my Ajax salary," he said. "But our decision was clear: we wanted to go to Ajax.

"Manchester United wanted to have me, but I insisted on returning to Ajax. To make that possible, my agent Jose Fortes Rodriguez even waived a hefty percentage of the sell-on clause."

Brobbey had initially signed for Die Roten Bullen in the Bundesliga on a free transfer before resigning for Ajax on loan. Following a tough spell in the German top-flight, he returned to the Eredivisie in a move worth a reported £13.9million.

This week, the Mirror credited both United and Arsenal with interest in the attacker. Ten Hag handed an 18-year-old Brobbey his first-team debut in 2020 as he was a part of the league-winning side that sent the 53-year-old to Old Trafford on a high.