Manchester United’s erratic recruitment has been a major factor in the club’s precipitous decline under all five managers who have failed to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. And the renowned Scot himself was at the heart of one of the decade’s worst blunders, with Jude Bellingham eluding Old Trafford.

United, along with Borussia Dortmund, were the Premier League’s frontrunners for Bellingham ahead of his departure from Birmingham City in 2020.

According to The Athletic, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enlisted Sir Alex to assist him in luring Bellingham to the club on his March 2020 visit to Carrington.

The then-16-year-old inspected the training complex with his family as he considered his next step after breaking onto the senior scene at St Andrew’s.

According to reports, Solskjaer and his aides had prepared an analytical presentation to highlight Bellingham’s road to being a regular starter.

Ferguson’s participation was simply to sweeten the deal and push a move for one of Europe’s most exciting adolescents through.

However, John Murtough reportedly had other plans and refused to allow Ferguson to speak with the Bellingham family.

Sir Alex Ferguson assisted Manchester United in signing Jude Bellingham.

Instead, he confined the United legend to a brief meeting and handshake before rushing the visitors through the facilities.

According to the source, Ferguson was enraged by the decision and later gave Murtough a piece of his mind.

Murtough is believed to have insisted that it was a mistake, and the Glazers and Ed Woodward named him the club’s first-ever football director a year later to keep him from leaving for Inter Miami.

Bellingham chose a £25 million move to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020 over a move to United.

Bellingham, 20, has already established himself as one of the world’s greatest midfielders.

Sir Alex Ferguson does not like John Murtough.

According to The Athletic, Ferguson and Murtough’s relationship was harmed as a result of the Bellingham tragedy.

During his examination of United’s poor football operation last year, Ferguson reportedly told Richard Arnold to look into Murtough’s role as football director.

He wanted Arnold to pick Dan Ashworth, who is thought to be Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s preferred replacement for Murtough once his £1.3 billion acquisition for a 25% share in United is approved in the new year.