“We have submitted a bid for Robin Van Persie.”
Perhaps not in so many words, but this was the gist of what Sir Alex Ferguson told a covey of Fleet Street hell-hounds. The journos almost wet their pants in excitement. Rarely are managers so blunt during press interactions. They won’t even tell you the time of the day properly during these orgies. Then of course, there’s Roy Keane, that psychotic madman. Keane was asked if he was interested in signing Szncaihcz, budding star of the Republic of Narnia U-21s (don’t look him up on FM, you idiots, I don’t remember the name of the actual player). Keane, who had no doubt been taught at his mother’s Irish knee to tell the truth, without so much as batting an eye-lid, replied ‘no.’ The next day Keane’s team signed Szncaihcz.
What goes on when a transfer is being negotiated is anybody’s guess. We, at FP, however, have some inside info. Absolutely legit. From the horse’s mouth. Our source is yes-man to a senior Premier League manager who shall not be named, needless to say. The scouting department at your club trawls through football forums and FM databases for The Next Big Thing. Having spotted a diamond amongst the coals, they contact said diamond’s current employers. A phone call is made:
“Twenty million for the lad.”