Ex-Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s “genius” signing of Robin van Persie before his final Premier League triumph.
United sealed a £24 million deal to bring the striker into the club from Arsenal in 2012, per BBC Sport.
The former Netherlands international went on to have a mighty impact at Old Trafford, scoring 26 Premier League goals as United won the title by 11 points, per Transfermarkt.
And Evans, who now plays for Leicester City, believes that the deal to bring van Persie in was the catalyst the club needed to beat rivals Manchester City to the title.
Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “It was a genius signing, to get someone from one of your rival clubs, where he’d been [for so long] – everyone was shocked.”
He added: “He came to Manchester United to win the title, and he was a man on a mission that year.
“Ferguson loved people who could produce things out of the bag, moments of brilliance, moments of magic, and he had that in abundance.”
GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…
Ferguson had a knack for this.
He was brilliant at spotting the holes in his squad and managing to fill them with the best possible signings.
When they needed a catalyst in the early 90s, he brought in Eric Cantona; when they needed a new central defender in the early 2000s, he lured Rio Ferdinand away from Leeds United; when a young and hungry team was being built, he snaffled up both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Van Persie falls into the same category here; United needed that match-winning presence in 2012/13 and a deal for the Dutchman not only strengthened the Red Devils but it also weakened Arsenal.
It was a win-win for Ferguson, who could then bow out as a Premier League winner.
That remains the last time that United lifted the famous trophy; how they could do with both Ferguson and van Persie now.