Man Utd rejected two transfer ‘recommendations’ for Tottenham, Fulham stars – ‘it really annoys me’
Ex-Man Utd assistant Rene Meulensteen has revealed that he “recommended” two current Premier League players to his former club.
Meulensteen was previously Man Utd’s first-team coach between 2017 and 2013. He later had a brief spell as Fulham’s head coach and he is currently the assistant manager for Australia’s national team.
Man Utd is still a club close to his heart and he has revealed that in recent years he has encouraged them to sign Heung-Min Son and Willian.
Son’s form has dipped this season but he has been a superb signing for Spurs. He joined them for around £22m from Bayer Leverkusen and he has scored 145 goals in his 370 appearances across all competitions.
Willian meanwhile had a brilliant spell at Chelsea between 2013 and 2020. He later had an ill-fated period at Arsenal but he is currently enjoying a late-career resurgence at Fulham.
Meulensteen previously pushed for Man Utd to sign both players and it “really annoys” him that they decided against signing Son a couple of seasons after he joined Spurs.
“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,” Meulensteen has told United’s official Scandinavian supporters club.
“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.”
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Meulensteen added that he “rang” David Moyes to discuss the signing of Willian but he and Ryan Giggs decided not to take his advice before he moved to Premier League rivals Chelsea.
“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 to 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’.”
