Decided to snub Man United in favour of Chelsea after dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson
Former Chelsea star Arjen Robben explained that he almost signed for Manchester United after having dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson. The 40-year-old joined the Blues from PSV Eindhoven in July 2004 for £12 million.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Robben played 106 matches, scored 19 goals and provided 21 assists. He also helped Jose Mourinho win two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
His impressive form caught the attention of Real Madrid, who paid £24m to sign him in 2007. After spending some time in Spain and winning the Spanish Super Cup, Robben moved to Bayern Munich. Here, he proved himself as one of the best forwards in world football, reports the Manchester Evening News.
He played over 300 games for the German club, won seven Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokals, four German Supercups, as well as a UEFA Super Cup and a Champions League winners’ medal. Robben eventually called time on his playing career in 2021, however, things could have been different for the former Chelsea forward.
Robben has claimed that he could have joined Man United instead of Chelsea. It was during a 2018 interview with FourFourTwo that Robben explained why the move to Old Trafford didn’t happen.
“I had a very good conversation with him (Sir Alex Ferguson) over dinner in Manchester and we spoke about football and life,” Robben recalled. “I also went and had a good look around the training ground and everything was good, but after I went back to PSV nothing happened.
“There was no real contact and the deal didn’t happen. PSV were also negotiating with Chelsea at that time, so maybe they offered PSV more money? I don’t really know. I spoke to Chelsea and I liked their plans
“We had one meeting and everything was done pretty quickly. Had Manchester United offered me a deal straight after I met them, I would have signed there, but it didn’t happen and I have got no regrets.”
