Alex Ferguson has claimed Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira wanted to join
Manchester United last season, but the move was blocked by the Highbury board. The United boss, determined to reclaim the Premiership title after finishing trophyless last year, has upped the stakes with less than a fortnight to go before the new season by claiming Vieira wanted to quit Arsenal to join 'without question the highest-profile team in the world'.
He revealed: "They would all like to come here. Patrick Vieira would have loved to have come here last season but they wouldn't let him. Players will always want to go to a bigger club. That's life. There is no player in this country who wouldn't want to play for Manchester United. We are without question the highest-profile team in the world."
Vieira, a World Cup and European Championship winner with France, has frequently been linked with a move away from Highbury and a switch to United seemed on the cards in the summer of 2001. However, he stayed in north London and was a key figure in Arsenal's double-winning season.
Ferguson is determined to prove last year's disappointment was just a minor blip and is confident, with the arrival of Rio Ferdinand, they can do just that. He added: "We have the best disciplinary record in the country. We score the most goals. We entertain the most. And we put more into winning a game than any other team in the world. I am lucky, I am working for the best club in the world."
Filed by Shane Murray
