Football agent Barry Silkman has revealed in an exclusive interview with Sport.co.uk that Middlesbrough rejected the chance to sign Nani for just £3.5 million, eight months prior to his move to Manchester United in 2007.
Silkman reportedly offered the Sporting Lisbon winger to then Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate for just £3.5 million, but he rejected the agent’s proposal. Within a year, Nani had subsequently joined Premier League giants Manchester United in the summer of 2007, for a fee believed to be in the region of £17 million.
Having concluded the deal with Sporting Lisbon for Nani, Manchester United chief executive David Gill allegedly rang up Middlesbrough counterpart Keith Lamb, who confirmed that the North East club had indeed rejected the Sporting youngster for the modest fee of just £3.5 million.
Silkman told Sport.co.uk: “Recently, the biggest one I have missed out on, I saw a player in Portugal a few years ago called Nani.”
“I tried to do a deal with Middlesbrough who I was very close to at the time; I did a lot of deals when Steve McClaren was manager.”
“I offered Nani to Middlesbrough and Gareth Southgate didn’t fancy him. He was £3.5million.”
“He went to Manchester United for $27million and it was only eight or nine months later, that’s all it was.”
“Manchester United’s chief executive David Gill actually phoned Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb to ask him if that story was true! And Keith Lamb said yeah it is.”
Silkman claims Nani is one of a number of players he has missed out on throughout his career as a football agent.
Silkman concluded: “So over the years I have missed out on loads, absolutely hatfuls of players.”
To read Sport.co.uk’s full interview with Barry Silkman click here.