“I couldn’t go on anymore” – Marcel Sabitzer explains why he didn’t sign for Manchester United

Marcel Sabitzer spent five months on loan at Manchester United after he was drafted in during the January window due to a Christian Eriksen injury.

Marcel Sabitzer played 18 times for Manchester United under Erik ten Hag, winning the 2023 Carabao Cup trophy and helping guide the club to a 3rd-placed Premier League finish after Christian Eriksen was ruled out for the season at the end of January.

He was drafted in from Bayern Munich and impressed the club’s fans, scoring some crucial goals in the process – but his loan move was never made permanent despite many fans hoping it would happen.

Sabitzer arrived on loan alongside Wout Weghorst and Jack Butland, who also signed temporary deals as the side faced an injury problem, but none of the three players returned once their contracts had expired.

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Speaking to The Athletic, Sabitzer himself admitted that he wanted to stay at United, but an injury to his knee “and a few other things” meant the move could not go through.

“I already picked up the injury two weeks into my stay and then played through the pain because I wanted to make it work,” he explained. “But at one point, I couldn’t go on any more and had to have surgery.”

Sabitzer, however, admits that he has “no regrets” as to how things ended up, with the player now plying his trade for Borussia Dortmund. “I couldn’t be happier at Dortmund and feel that I’m exactly at the right place right now,” he said. “I feel the support of the whole club. You need that to perform well.”

Manchester United instead signed Mason Mount from Chelsea on a five-year contract for a fee believed to be up to £60 million, should add-ons be triggered.