Marouane Fellaini claimed today to have turned down Arsenal in favor of a move to Manchester United.
The Belgium international midfielder, who left Everton to join Manchester United in a £27.5 million deal on transfer deadline day, cited manager David Moyes as the decisive element in his decision making process.
“I knew United were interested in signing me - just as Arsenal were,” he admitted. “But it was United who snapped me up.
“David Moyes did everything to get me. I leapt at the chance to work with Moyes. I spent some fantastic times with him at Everton.”
Since moving to Old Trafford, however, those fantastic times have ended for both player and coach. Fellaini has struggled to adapt to life with the champions, admitting the switch to Manchester has been quite the culture shock. “I couldn’t believe it during my first week,” Fellaini said. “It’s a change, a big step. I’m training now, and starting to get used to it, but I couldn’t believe it at the start.”
After occupying the striker role for much of his time at Goodison Park, Fellaini has been deployed as a box-to-box midfielder alongside Michael Carrick at United. It’s a role that Fellaini has noted he prefers yet one that has left United fans worried that their investment may be all for not.
The consensus is that in the four Premier League matches he’s played since joining United, Fellaini has looked off the pace. Despite his physical stature he has failed to impose himself defensively while on the offensive end his passes have been off the mark and he’s lacked the bite in the box that made him a star at Everton.
While poor form has plagued Fellaini the harsh and quick criticism has undoubtedly been exacerbated by the fact that, as the only new recruit into United, the spotlight is entirely his own.
Whether Arsenal’s “interest” in Fellaini would have transpired into actually making a bid for the player is highly speculative. Notoriously tight-fisted in the transfer market, it’s unlikely the Gunners would have bid anywhere close to £27.5 million for the Belgian.
Although Arsene Wenger did splash the cash (a club record £42.5 million) to acquire Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid, there’s a big difference between shelling out for a player with high upside (Fellaini) and a player of world-class stature (Ozil).
Instead, Wenger filled Arsenal’s need for midfield grit by signing Mathieu Flamini on a free transfer from AC Milan. The move has proven to be a stroke of genius as Flamini’s bull-dog mentality and endless stamina has been a massive boon to the Arsenal midfield.
Although a concussion and groin injury have sidelined the Frenchman of late, many consider Flamini to be the signing of the summer transfer window and a major reason why this Arsenal side might just have what it takes to make a run at the Premier League title.
