Manchester United are learning from 2009 mistake that left Sir Alex Ferguson fuming

Manchester United are learning from a mistake they made in 2009 that left Sir Alex Ferguson fuming after scuppering his summer transfer plans.

In 2009, many Manchester United fans were distraught when it became clear that Carlos Tevez would not sign for Manchester United following the expiry of his two-year loan from West Ham United.

Tevez went on to join bitter rivals Manchester City, with Tevez’s agent claiming that despite previous promises, no offer had been made from United to sign the Argentinan striker. “It is categorically untrue Manchester United made an offer to try to persuade Carlos to stay,” the agent said.

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“He knows I want him to stay,” Sir Alex Ferguson said of Tevez at the time. “We spoke today, and chief executive David Gill has had meetings with him.

“We have given him an offer, and we hope he accepts. The problem is we are not negotiating with a football club.”

However, Tevez’s agent hit back. “In 2007, Manchester United agreed a two-year loan deal for Carlos Tevez and, at the same time, agreed the terms that would make the transfer permanent. They have not taken up that option.”

The agent then added: “He’s been disappointed at the way he’s been treated – he shouldn’t be in this situation.

“He did enough to warrant a contract last year, but they decided not to do that and to go for other players, and in January, he felt he might be offered a contract, and he wasn’t, so now I think he feels not as good as when he first joined.

“The fact of the matter is Carlos hasn’t asked for any amount of money and hasn’t been offered any amount of money – that’s where we are at the moment.”

It is no secret that Sir Alex was angry at losing Tevez at the time, and the agent in question is a name that United fans are once again becoming very familiar with – Iranian-British businessman Kia Joorabchian.

Joorabchian is the agent of current Manchester United target Joshua Zirkzee, and the club are currently negotiating with the Dutchman’s agent about a potential move for the striker to join Old Trafford from Bologna.

Although Zirkzee’s current contract has a release clause of £34 million, the current stumbling block is that Joorabchian is demanding as much as £12 million in agent fees—but United is learning how to deal with him this time around.

Rather than taking the previously trodden bullish approach, United are taking their time to negotiate more amicable terms. Reports suggest that United is looking to reach an agreement with Zirkzee and his agent before triggering the £34 million release clause.

There have also been notions that, due to United’s positive talks with Joorabchian, he may be willing to lower his demands to grease the wheels for a transfer this summer. This shows that they are becoming more aware of how to deal with agents on a more level basis.

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