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What's the story?
Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards has confirmed that the Red Devils had considered Arsene Wenger to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, in an interview with the BBC. In the radio interview, Edwards revealed that Wenger had two meetings with United, saying "Peter [Kenyon] and I went to see Arsene Wenger - we had a couple of meetings with him - one in London, one in Paris. He seemed keen at one stage, but in the end, he withdrew - he decided he didn't want to come on the basis that he felt his loyalty was to Arsenal and particularly to David Dein, who was the vice-chairman, who he's very friendly with. He just felt he'd be letting them [Arsenal] down."
Also Read: What if: Arsene Wenger had joined Manchester United instead of Arsenal
In case you didn't know...
Arsene Wenger joined Arsenal from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight in 1996 and has gone on to become the North London side's greatest ever manager. The Frenchman won the Premier League title in his first full season in charge, becoming the first foreign manager to have ever done so. His first decade was full of success, with multiple FA Cup titles and Premier League wins culminating in the famed unbeaten side known as the Invincibles. Wenger has struggled to replicate similar success ever since the Gunners moved to the Emirates, with plenty of fans now calling for him to step down.
The heart of the matter
Sir Alex Ferguson was ready to step down in 2002, according to Martin Edwards in his autobiography. Manchester United's #1 choice to replace him was Arsene Wenger, with the Frenchman surprisingly open to the move, despite the heated rivalry that existed between the two clubs then.
Edwards noted that Wenger must have seriously considered the proposal, saying "To have two meetings... he showed an interest in all of it. But in the end, his loyalty to Arsenal [won out]. I don't think many people were aware of it at the time. I've never seen Arsene Wenger refer to it at all. At the end of the day, his loyalty was to them [Arsenal]."
Also Read: Where’s the audacity, Arsene?
As it turned out, Sir Alex decided to stay, working for another decade that brought more success to Manchester United, while Wenger has suffered in charge of Arsenal of late.
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Author's Take:
The idea of Arsene Wenger replacing Sir Alex Ferguson seems shocking now - and in 2002 would have even been even more eye-opening, given that it was approaching the peak of the rivalry between the two giants of English football.
