Sir Alex Ferguson was against the idea of Manchester United signing Robin Van Persie from rivals Arsenal.
Van Persie joined the Red Devils from Arsenal on August 17, 2012, for a fee of €30.7 million.
Manchester United had lost the Premier League title to neighbors Manchester City in 2012 by goal difference and fans of the club bemoaned their problems in attack as their major reason for losing the title.
That famous title win for the Cityzens resulted in the Old Trafford giants penciling names of potential attacking reinforcements in the transfer market.
Was Manchester United Initially Looking At Signing Robin Van Persie?
Robin Van Persie apparently wasn’t initially on the shortlist of Manchester United, based on Dutch tactician René Meulensteen, who was first-team coach of the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson between 2007 and 2013.
Sir Alex Ferguson Was Against Manchester United Signing Robin Van Persie
During an interview with British media outlet, talkSPORT, Rene revealed that Sir Alex opposed the signing of Van Persie by Manchester United.
René Meulensteen pointed out that Sir Alex’s disagreement was primarily due to the footballer’s age.
The 60-year-old said: “I got a call from Robin’s agent and he just said (Rene), Robin wants to play for Manchester United and also he wants to play for Sir Alex Ferguson.”
Why Was Ferguson Uninterested In Signing Van Persie?
René Meulensteen then proceeded to share how his conversation with Sir Alex went, saying: “So I walked into Sir Alex Ferguson’s office and I said, I have got this phone call, and you know, Robin Van Persie is interested in joining Manchester United, what do you think?”
Sir Alex Ferguson replied: “Nah…Nah he is too old”, Van Persie was 27 at the time.
René also revealed the reason why Robin Van Persie left Arsenal, stressing that the striker’s expectations weren’t in tandem with those of the Gunners.
René Meulensteen further shared that the footballer’s agent revealed to him that he wouldn’t be extending his contract at the North London side, however, he was keen on remaining in England and his go-to club was Manchester United.
Robin Van Persie was also interested in playing for arguably the greatest manager ever, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Sir Alex Ferguson And Robin Van Persie At Manchester United
Anyway, Van Persie’s relationship with Sir Alex turned out to be a mutually beneficial one, with both parties meeting their respective targets for the partnership.
Robin Van Persie inspirationally led Manchester United to the 2012/13 Premier League title scoring 26 goals in 38 matches, handing Sir Alex Ferguson his last managerial career trophy, as he called time on his stellar career at the end of that season.
Van Persie was also desiring to win the Premier League and his ambition was met following his move to the Red Devils.
He exited Manchester United on July 15, 2015, to join Turkish giants Fenerbahce for a fee of €6.5 million.
The 40-year-old scored 58 goals and provided 15 assists in 105 appearances for Manchester United.
Who Is Robin Van Persie?
Van Persie is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who is the head coach of Dutch side Heerenveen.
Robin Van Persie was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on August 6, 1983, to mother José Ras, a painter and jewelry designer who also teaches children with special needs.
His father’s name is Bob and the Dutchman is a sculptor.
Moreover, Van Persie is married to Bouchra, who he tied the knot with in 2004, and the stunning woman is Dutch-Moroccan.
The couple have two children, a son named Shaqueel, born in 2006, and a daughter Dina, born in 2009.
Robin Van Persie Net Worth?
His net worth is estimated to be within the region of
Van Persie’s Career Stats?
Robin Van Persie made 592 club career appearances, scoring 272 goals and providing 94 assists in all competitions.
Internationally, Van Persie, who is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands, made 102 appearances for the country, scoring 50 goals and providing 20 assists.
Clubs He Played For During His Career?
He represented several clubs during his stellar career, including; Feyenoord, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Fenerbahce.
Robin Van Persie’s Achievements?
He won several trophies during his stellar career, including; 1 Premier League, 1 UEFA Europa League, 1 FA Cup, and 1 KNVB Cup.
Individually, he won 1 PFA Players’ Player of the Year and 1 PFA Fans’ Player of the Year alongside 2 Premier League Golden Boots (2011/12, 2012/13).
Robin Van Persie Managerial Career
He was formerly assistant manager of Feyenoord between 2020 and 2024, whilst also taking charge of the club’s U16 side between 2021 and 2023.
Van Persie was also joint head coach of Feyenoord’s Under 18/19 between 2023 and 2024.
