Manchester United reportedly missed out on Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish for just £200,000 in 2012 when the Englishman was a schoolboy.
The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from Villa Park in recent weeks, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side said to be the frontrunners for his signature.
However, former Aston Villa manager Alex Mcleish has revealed that Grealish was on the verge of a switch to Old Trafford when he was just 16, before offering him a fresh contract to stay at the Claret and Blue.
Speaking to The Mirror, Mcleish said: "Bryan told me Jack's contract was coming up and he was getting courted by Man United. All the heads of department at Aston Villa discussed it in a meeting and I agreed with Bryan Jones 100% that we had to keep him.
"Maybe it was unprecedented money we were giving to an academy kid. But it has turned out to be a great bit of business for Aston Villa."
Grealish has registered seven goals and six assists in the Premier League this season as Dean Smith's side prepare to take on Manchester City in Sunday's EFL Cup final at Wembley.
Ben Knapton
