In a candid revelation from his autobiographical documentary Never Give In, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has named Owen Hargreaves as his most regrettable signing during his tenure at Old Trafford.
Ferguson disclosed that he had reservations about signing the midfielder from Bayern Munich in 2007 for €25 million. “We started to prepare an offer for Hargreaves, but I had doubts. I didn’t get a good vibe about him signing,” he admitted.
Despite high hopes, Hargreaves’ stint at United was plagued by injuries, limiting him to just 39 appearances over four seasons, with two goals and two assists to his name.
Reflecting on the transfer, Ferguson noted, “His agent was a nice man, a lawyer. I told him that at Manchester United we could help him develop. But it turned out to be a disaster.”
The admission reveals a rare misstep in Ferguson’s storied career at the helm of the Red Devils.