Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant, Rene Meulensteen, has revealed that Manchester United ignored his advice to sign Son Heung-min and Willian.
The Dutchman, who spent 12 years working at Old Trafford, severed ties with the Red Devils in 2013 when David Moyes inherited the managerial reins following Ferguson’s retirement. Meulensteen headed to Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala at that point – allowing him to work with Brazilian winger Willian. His path also crossed with South Korean forward Son at one stage, but two men recommended to United ended up moving to the Premier League at Chelsea and Tottenham respectively.
Meulensteen has told United’s official Scandinavian supporters club of seeing his advice fall on deaf ears: “It really annoys me a little bit because when Son just came to Tottenham so many years ago, I felt, after seeing him one or two seasons, this is the player United need to buy. I mentioned it. There was another one I recommended as well. When I left United I went to Anzhi in Russia with Guus Hiddink and then Guus left and I took over, and I had a really interesting squad with a lot of interesting individuals: Samuel Eto’o, Lassana Diarra, Christopher Samba was there… and Willian.
“Now that’s the player, because I actually rang David [Moyes] because they were looking for players and I knew Willian was a mad Man United fan, because he asked me, he said, ‘Can you help me [play for United]?’ I said I could make a call, no problem at all. I said, ‘Listen David I’ve got somebody here, Brazilian, versatile, can play any position, up front, in the midfield, advanced midfield, commercially a very good deal as well, never injured, great kid’. And then [assistant] Ryan Giggs rang me after, just to follow it up, and I said, ‘Ryan if there’s anybody that you should know that knows what United need then it’s me, because I’ve worked with you guys for so many years. Believe me, he’ll be great’.”
Meulensteen added, with two proven Premier League performers slipping through United’s net: “Anyway it never materialised and then Tottenham came in, and then the relationship between the Anzhi owner Suleyman Kerimov and Roman Abramovich, they [Chelsea] hijacked it and Abramovich said, ‘Bring him to me’. And then at the last minute, because I think he was at Spurs to do the medicals, the same day he went off to Chelsea. So that was a little bit of a one-two between them two. And look at him, Willian has been outstanding for Chelsea and fantastic now for Fulham. I love to see him play, absolutely brilliant. He drives with the ball, he’s positive, he’s great. But it’s a shame, you know? You think to yourself, those players could have definitely made a difference.”
