Wesley Sneijder thought he was going to join Manchester United - and insists finances were not the reason the deal did not happen.
The saga over the Dutch international's future lasted for the whole transfer window, with United, Manchester City and Chelsea all linked.
But it was always United who were thought to be leading the chase, and Sneijder admits he thought he was Old Trafford-bound.
"I just felt that it was close, yes [I thought I was going]," Sneijder, currently with the Dutch squad on international duty, told AD.