🏟️Sir Alex Ferguson convinced former Man Utd player to snub Arsenal transfer after personal intervention

player ahead of Arsenal.

Marcus Chan

Marcus Chan

Sir Alex Ferguson convinced to one player to come to Manchester United instead joining his boyhood club Arsenal.

During his 27-year years as United manager, Ferguson established himself as arguably the greatest of all time after taking the club to a host of trophies including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.

Therefore, due to the wealth of success, many players were lured to the Red Devils as they could not pass up a chance to play under the Scottish manager.

Former United player Andreas Pereira was no exception, the Brazilian was close to moving to Arsenal, a club which he supported as a kid, but then Ferguson intervened.

Speaking on The American Dream podcast, he said: “It was really special. I was speaking with my dad and my head was on Arsenal, I wanted to go to Arsenal.

“I was a fan and I liked the way they played football. It was at the time that Wilshere was getting his first games and I got a shirt from Wilshere and I loved this shirt.

“It came out that United were interested and I was always a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, and my Dad said ok let’s go and see how it is over there. In my head, I was going to visit and my head was in Arsenal, but Sir Alex Ferguson came and said it was nice to meet me, and I was in shock.”

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Pereira continued: “But it wasn’t just me, it was my Father, I never see him in shock with anyone and he didn’t know what to do or to say hi.He said to me ‘I always have a place for a Brazilian in my team, I saw you in the Nike Cup.’ And when he said that I was like ‘I’m staying here, I don’t care about Arsenal, I love Ronaldo, I love Rooney, I love everyone.”

However, Pereira only made his first team debut in 2014, under Louis van Gaal.

After making 75 appearances for the Red Devils, Pereira was sold to Fulham in a deal worth a reported £10 million plus performance-related add-ons.

For Fulham, he has established himself as a regular starter, making 85 appearances and scoring five goals.During his time as manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson had a knack for convincing top talents to join the Red Devils, even when they were considering other clubs. One such instance involved Andreas Pereira, a former Manchester United player who was on the verge of joining his boyhood club, Arsenal.

Pereira, a Brazilian midfielder, grew up as an Arsenal fan and admired their style of play. Speaking on *The American Dream* podcast, he revealed how close he was to signing for Arsenal: “I was speaking with my dad, and my head was on Arsenal. I wanted to go to Arsenal. I was a fan and I liked the way they played football.”

However, Sir Alex Ferguson’s intervention changed everything. Pereira recounted that when he visited Manchester United, Ferguson personally spoke to him and his father. Pereira was in awe when Ferguson told him, “I always have a place for a Brazilian in my team. I saw you in the Nike Cup.” This was enough to sway Pereira’s decision, and he chose to join United, influenced by his admiration for players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Pereira made his first-team debut for Manchester United in 2014 under Louis van Gaal and went on to make 75 appearances for the club. Eventually, he moved to Fulham in a deal worth around £10 million plus add-ons, where he became a regular starter, making 85 appearances and scoring five goals.

This story highlights how Ferguson’s charisma and reputation played a pivotal role in shaping Manchester United’s squad during his legendary managerial career.