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Vincent Kompany was considered as a possible Manchester United signing by Sir Alex Ferguson 15 years ago.

Kompany, 33, has left Manchester City after 11 garlanded years, having ended his spell with the club by captaining them to an unprecedented British treble.

The Belgium international joined City for a knockdown £6million in 2008 but was considered by Ferguson in the summer of 2004.

Ferguson's 2015 book, Leading , featured a document of player analysis ahead of the 2004-05 season. United had just finished third in the Premier League behind the Arsenal 'invincibles' and second-place Chelsea, transformed by Roman Abramovich's 2003 takeover.

Chelsea responded to finishing runners-up by dismissing manager Claudio Ranieri and replacing him with Jose Mourinho. Ferguson had never gone two years without a title since United's breakthrough championship in 1993 and compiled a document of his squad plans for the upcoming campaign.

Players were split into categories of 'squad', 'excess', 'youth potential' and 'transfer targets/possibilities'. United had bought Louis Saha in the 2004 January transfer window but wanted the Leeds striker Alan Smith as they prepared to sell Diego Forlan to Villarreal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would miss the entirety of 2004-05 with a chronic knee injury.

Ferguson focused on a defensive reinforcement amid United's struggles without Rio Ferdinand, who had received an eight-month ban in January 2004 for missing a drugs test.

Interesting "discussion document" from 2004 MUFC board meeting in Fergie's book. Lists Kompany as a potential target pic.twitter.com/JQ5ismRpyw — Paul Hirst (@hirstclass) September 22, 2015

Among the defenders under consideration were Gabriel Heinze of Paris Saint-Germain, Auxerre youngster Philippe Mexes, Barcelona teenager Gerard Pique and Kompany, then of Anderlecht. Pique was recruited as a youth player but Kompany, 18 at the time, was regarded as a first-team squad option.

Ferguson watched Kompany start for Anderlecht at Celtic in the Champions League in November 2003 but was distracted by the late Liam Miller.

"When I went to the Celtic v Anderlecht Champions League tie in Glasgow in November 2003, it was to watch the Belgian defender Vincent Kompany," Ferguson said last year. "However, my attention soon gravitated to Celtic’s energetic young midfielder, slight of stature but with an assured, calm way about him.

"What I witnessed was a player with a tremendous set of midfield fundamentals — his movement off the ball, his penetration of the Anderlecht midfield. I came away smitten by his performance, not least the timing of his runs. Leaving Parkhead I was totally determined to get Liam Miller to Manchester United." Miller signed a pre-contract agreement with United two months later.

In 2015, Kompany said: "United asked about me, but I had other priorities at the time. I was studying for my A-levels and my mother made me finish my education before I could concentrate on football.

"It’s a massive honour to be captain of this club and I can tell you that I feel really good. I have put my sweat and blood into Manchester City. I’m passionate about the club and I want success as much as the owners."

United bought Heinze for £6.9m and the Argentinian international was voted the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year in his debut campaign. United ended 2004-05 third again and trophyless.

Ferguson spotted Mexes as a 16-year-old and enjoyed a warm rapport with Auxerre authority Guy Roux. Mexes was invited over to Manchester and was gifted a number six United shirt with his name printed on it and received 'a little letter from Eric Cantona in which he said he hoped I would follow in his footsteps'.

But Mexes agreed to join Roma in June 2004 in a deal that angered Auxerre, who had not agreed to the deal and Mexes received a six-week ban amid the acrimony. His only outings at Old Trafford were in a Champions League group stage loss and successive quarter-final defeats, including the 7-1 shellacking in 2007.

Kompany joined Hamburg in the summer of 2006 in a €10m move. Six months earlier United had signed Nemanja Vidic.

The irony of Ferguson's interest in Kompany was he scored the seismic 2012 derby winner that put them in pole position to secure their first title in 44 years. Kompany outjumped Chris Smalling, a player who might never have joined United had Ferguson bought Kompany in the mid-2000s.

After Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage last year, Kompany tweeted: "Hang in there Sir Alex. Thoughts are with the family and close ones."