The highly rated 25-year-old was the subject of an enquiry from Sir Bobby back in January but the French club put a £17million price-tag on their player as they made a strong (but ultimately unsuccessful) bid to win Le Championnat.
Van Buyten’s future was again the subject of speculation during in the summer before he signed an extended contract at Stade Velodrome, but he has now claimed that there were four serious bidders for his services.
“Above all it is the club that didn’t want me to leave,” he told France Football.
“When I saw the offers coming in from Manchester, Newcastle, Juventus and Bayern (Munich) I hesitated a little, because it was something for someone like me who came from a very small club in Belgium.
“I could not believe such prestigious teams were interested in me.”