The former Aberdeen boss revealed that his side could have secured the Dutchman’s signature all those years ago, but his attitude on the field thwarted the club's advances.
Arsenal managed to turn http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Robin-van-Persie-c31380 into a world-class striker in just a few years after acquiring him in a bargain buy in 2004.
Arsene Wenger, who has a keen eye for precocious talents, chose to acquire the talented youngster after protracted negotiations with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Feyenoord-c39258 but in the end it paid off as the Gunners captured one of the world’s best forwards today.
While Van Persie chose to depart the Emirates this summer in search of silverware, his current employers, Manchester United, could have signed him for much less than £24 million had they acted properly a decade ago.
Speaking to the media ahead of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alex-c4752 Ferguson revealed that United had been monitoring the player’s progress at the time and even sent a scout to watch him play.
However, the Netherlands’ star did not have his day on the field and was sent off, prompting the Reds to quell their interest and eventually chase http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736.
Nonetheless, Fergie was left reeling, especially after paying such a high price for a player that he could have gotten for next to nothing.
"He was a kid, he was only 16, 17 at the time. We sent Jim Ryan to see him play for Feyenoord and he was sent off in the game. Jim said he was a fantastic talent but he's a little immature. But at 16 they are all immature. We didn't progress it and then
he got to Arsenal."
He also spoke about Van Persie's signing in the summer and claimed that he had to convince Wenger throughly before the Frenchman agreed to the deal.
"Then it was a matter of working hard with Arsene (Wenger) and myself. I phoned him quite a few times and eventually we got an agreement. Once he accepted he was going to go he made sure we paid them plenty of money, but if he had been under contract for
more than a year we would never have got him."
Tags: