Legendary former Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has revealed that he came close to joining Inter.

Speaking to German broadcaster ARD, the 37-year-old revealed that he was ready to leave the German giants who had planned to sell him and replace him with Arsenal’s Alexander Hleb.

Schweisteiger had not yet established himself as one of the Bavarians’ key players in 2008, and the German giants were eyeing up Hleb as a player to strengthen their squad in attacking midfield.

In the end, the Belarusian left the Gunners for Barcelona rather than Bayern and Schweinsteiger stayed at his club where he went on to win multiple Bundesliga titles and the Champions League.

However, had they managed to sign Hleb, he could well have joined the Nerazzurri, where his career could have been very different and the German would have had a chance to make an impact in Serie A instead of the Bundesliga.

“I already had my bags ready to go to Milan,” the former midfielder explained. “Jurgen Klinsmann and Bayern Munich wanted another player, Alexander Hleb. But then he went to Barcelona and I stayed in Munich.”