In a stunning revelation from the upcoming ITV documentary 'Secrets of Premier League Transfers', former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's scathing private assessment of Owen Hargreaves has been laid bare for the first time.
The legendary boss, who signed the England international from Bayern Munich for £17 million in 2007, did not hold back in his criticism of a player he ultimately considered one of his biggest transfer failures.
'A Disaster of a Signing'
Ferguson's brutally honest verdict, captured in previously private footage, leaves little to the imagination. 'The big disappointment was Hargreaves,' Ferguson is heard stating. 'We got him on the premise that he’d had a medical. But he failed the medical. And we still went ahead.'
The Scot's frustration is palpable as he details the consequences of the decision. 'And then of course, he had the problem with his knees. He was never fit. You know, you look back now, it was a disaster.'
A Career Derailed by Injury
Hargreaves' time at Old Trafford was indeed marred by persistent tendonitis in his knees, limiting the once-dynamic midfielder to just 39 appearances across four seasons. After a promising start that included a Premier League title and a Champions League win in 2008, his career at the highest level rapidly declined.
United eventually released Hargreaves in 2011, after which he had a brief and equally injury-plagued spell with rivals Manchester City. His story remains one of the most prominent 'what if' tales of unfulfilled potential in recent Premier League history.
A Legacy of What Might Have Been
This explosive insight from Ferguson adds a new, definitive layer to Hargreaves' complicated legacy. It confirms the deep regret felt by the club's hierarchy over a major financial outlay that yielded minimal return.
For fans and pundits alike, the revelation serves as a stark reminder of the high-stakes gamble inherent in football transfers and how, even for the most successful managers in history, some signings are simply destined to fail.
