Manchester United taking on Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly will spark memories of their famous attempt to sign Gabriel Batistuta.

The Red Devils were long-time admirers of the Argentina striker Batistuta during his time at Fiorentina .

Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson had been keen to sign the forward on multiple occasions.

However, United were ultimately priced out of a move due to Batistuta's wage demands.

The club looked most likely to complete the signing back in 1996.

It came after they had missed out on Alan Shearer, who opted to join his beloved Newcastle from Blackburn.

Why didn't United sign Batistuta?

Former United chairman Martin Edwards reflected on their pursuit of Batistuta back in 2017.

He told NBC Sports: "Ferguson was keen to sign Batistuta.

"We looked

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