Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has revealed he had an offer on the table from Manchester United and still harbours of hopes of joining the Red Devils one day.
The 21-year-old was heavily linked with United in the summer but a deal did not materialise and they instead drafted in Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir as part of a major goalkeeping reshuffle.
But Suzuki, currently on loan at Belgian side Sint-Truiden from Urawa Reds in Japan, has admitted it is his "dream" to play in the English top flight.
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"My dream is to play in the Premier League and I have received an offer from Manchester Unite," he said, as per voetbalbelgie.
"Even if I can’t go there now, I definitely want to go there in a few years."
Suzuki, born in the United States to a father of Ghanaian descent and a Japanese mother, made his debut as a 16-year-old and has played four times in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League this season.
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He represents Japan's Under 23 side and has been capped once by the senior squad.
The 21-year-old has been described as "a leader among the next generation of Japanese goalkeepers" and was tipped to make a £5 million move to United.
At one point, reports in Japan claimed talks were "progressing smoothly" but despite the tempting proposal, it then emerged that the player turned down the offer on the table.
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It's said that his reasoning for not making the move is because he has "ultimately prioritised" gametime going into the Paris Olympics.
Dinamo Zagreb’s Dominik Livakovic and Feyenoord shotstopper Justin Bijlow were touted as potential options for United in the summer window but they ultimately went with Turkey international Bayindir, who joined for £4.3 million and signed a four-year deal.
He has taken on the No.1 shirt vacated by De Gea but is yet to make a competitive appearance.
Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag
Josh Lawless