Premier League legend reveals Sir Alex Ferguson ‘called him twice’ to try to sign him for Man United before he joined Chelsea…. including a couple of weeks AFTER he linked up with Blues
- A Premier League hero has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson tried to convince him
- However, he explained how Claudio Ranieri’s personal qualities convinced him
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A Premier League legend has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson called him twice to persuade him to join Manchester United.
That includes a phone call he didn’t want to make at the last minute, as he claims Ferguson called him two weeks after he joined Chelsea.
The 1998 World Cup winner played for both Arsenal and Chelsea for three years, winning the title with the Gunners in 1997.
Emmanuel Petit is the player in question and he has revealed that Claudio Ranier’s compelling charm convinced him to move from Barcelona to Chelsea in 2001, not United.
‘Before I joined Chelsea, Sir Alex Ferguson called me twice because he knew I was not happy at Barcelona and we talked extensively about the project,’ he said. BettingMGM.
Emmanuel Petit has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson called him twice to try and persuade him to join Chelsea, even after he had joined Chelsea.
Petit, who won the double with Arsenal in 1997-98, moved to Stamford Bridge in 2001
“We have spoken extensively about the project (at Manchester United),” Petit said of Ferguson
‘Arsène Wenger also called me to ask what the situation was, but Claudio [Ranieri] came by personally to meet me.
‘We had lunch together and he was so nice. He really convinced me that Chelsea was the right move and so I moved there.
‘Ferguson called me twice, once a few weeks after I arrived, but I said I had already made my decision.’
Legendary defensive midfielder Petit made his name at Monaco, winning the Ligue 1 title with them in 1996-97 before being signed by Arsène Wenger.
Petit was unveiled alongside Marc Overmars at Highbury when he arrived and three years later they were sold as a duo to Barcelona.
He won four trophies under fellow countryman Wenger, including two in 1997-98, and is fondly remembered.
In 2017, Gunners fans voted him the 22nd best player they had ever had.
His year out of the Barca squad in 2000-01 did not bring much joy. He described his time there as follows: ‘I arrived at a bad time. There was a war in the dressing room between Catalan players and Dutch players.
Petit joined Arsenal in 1997, along with Marc Overmars, and both were sold to Barcelona three years later
A meeting with the ‘nice’ Claudio Ranieri convinced him to join Chelsea for his final seasons
Zola played three seasons at Chelsea towards the end of his career, helping them reach the semi-finals of the Champions League
‘Moreover, head coach (Lorenzo) Serra Ferrer did not have enough strength or charisma to lead the team.’
And so Gunners fans had to watch as Petit signed for Chelsea and retired, despite failing to win any trophies.
He retired after an injury-plagued season in 2003-04, the season before José Mourinho arrived and transformed the Blues from an almost-men’s team into a title machine.
Had he played for United he could have added another Premier League victory and an FA Cup to his trophy cabinet in those years.
But in that last year he did reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, which he lost miserably to his old club Monaco.
