Argentine legend Juan Roman Riquelme has revealed that Manchester United tried to sign him when Sir Alex Ferguson was their manager.
Apparently, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign Juan Roman Riquelme during the 2005/06 season. Villarreal had an exceptional UEFA Champions League campaign that term, and Manchester United were thoroughly impressed with the South American midfielder’s performances.
The Spanish outfit managed to reach the semi-finals of the competition, where they were eventually beaten by Arsenal. Villarreal impressed against Manchester United in the group stages of the competition, and Riquelme’s performance caught the eye of the legendary Manchester United manager, who later approached Villarreal to sign him.
The Scottish manager had a meeting with the former Barcelona midfielder’s agent and the club president in an attempt to get a deal done. However, he was told that the Spanish outfit would rather sell everything else, including their stadium to hold on to the Argentine international midfielder.
Juan Roman Riquelme was very respectful of the club’s decision and stated that he would remain at Villarreal if the President is not keen on selling him.
He said via TYC Sports, “We played the semi-final against Arsenal in England and he was in the hotel. He spoke to the president of Villarreal and Daniel (Bolotnicoff), who is my agent, was there. He was there because he had gone to buy me.
“They finished the meeting and Dani said to me: ‘He wants to say hello’. I went to greet him and the president said to me: ‘He came to buy you’. So I said to him: ‘What did you say to him?’ And then he replied: ‘The sports city is for sale, El Madrigal (stadium)… everything is for sale, except Riquelme’.
“I said to my agent: ‘Tell Ferguson that I will never forget these five minutes in my life, but if the president doesn’t want to sell me, I’ll stay at Villarreal .’ So I greeted him and went to have a mate.”
Riquelme would have been a superb addition
Manchester United needed a quality midfielder at the time, and the Argentine would have been a world-class addition. He was easily one of the best players of his generation, and he could have added a new dimension to the side if he had joined the club.
Manchester United were dominating English football at the time, and with a player like him at their disposal, they could have added even more trophies to the cabinet. The South American midfielder showcased his qualities at a big club like Barcelona prior to joining Villarreal as well.
Argentine legend Juan Roman Riquelme has revealed that Manchester United tried to sign him when Sir Alex Ferguson was their manager.
Apparently, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign Juan Roman Riquelme during the 2005/06 season. Villarreal had an exceptional UEFA Champions League campaign that term, and Manchester United were thoroughly impressed with the South American midfielder’s performances.
The Spanish outfit managed to reach the semi-finals of the competition, where they were eventually beaten by Arsenal. Villarreal impressed against Manchester United in the group stages of the competition, and Riquelme’s performance caught the eye of the legendary Manchester United manager, who later approached Villarreal to sign him.
The Scottish manager had a meeting with the former Barcelona midfielder’s agent and the club president in an attempt to get a deal done. However, he was told that the Spanish outfit would rather sell everything else, including their stadium to hold on to the Argentine international midfielder.
Juan Roman Riquelme was very respectful of the club’s decision and stated that he would remain at Villarreal if the President is not keen on selling him.
He said via TYC Sports, “We played the semi-final against Arsenal in England and he was in the hotel. He spoke to the president of Villarreal and Daniel (Bolotnicoff), who is my agent, was there. He was there because he had gone to buy me.
“They finished the meeting and Dani said to me: ‘He wants to say hello’. I went to greet him and the president said to me: ‘He came to buy you’. So I said to him: ‘What did you say to him?’ And then he replied: ‘The sports city is for sale, El Madrigal (stadium)… everything is for sale, except Riquelme’.
“I said to my agent: ‘Tell Ferguson that I will never forget these five minutes in my life, but if the president doesn’t want to sell me, I’ll stay at Villarreal .’ So I greeted him and went to have a mate.”
Riquelme would have been a superb addition
Manchester United needed a quality midfielder at the time, and the Argentine would have been a world-class addition. He was easily one of the best players of his generation, and he could have added a new dimension to the side if he had joined the club.
Manchester United were dominating English football at the time, and with a player like him at their disposal, they could have added even more trophies to the cabinet. The South American midfielder showcased his qualities at a big club like Barcelona prior to joining Villarreal as well.