Get the day's biggest United stories delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Sir Alex Ferguson wanted Carlo Ancelotti to replace him at United, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has claimed.

The Scot hand-picked then-Everton boss David Moyes as successor at the helm when his trophy-laden spell in charge at Old Trafford came to an end in May 2012.

Moyes' time in charge was disastrous, however, and ended in dismissal with just four games of the 2013-14 season remaining.

By contrast, Ancelotti capped his first season in the Spanish capital with victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final - his third success in the competition since the start of his managerial career.

And, in an interview broadcast on Spanish radio, Perez has revealed that the Reds attempted to lure the Italian to Manchester before appointing Moyes.

“Ferguson called him [Ancelotti] to be his successor but he told him he had already promised to come here with us,” he said.

Ancelotti joined Bob Paisley as one of two men to lift the European Cup on three occasions as a manager last weekend.

The former AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss also has league titles in Italy, England and France to his name.