Manchester United’s recent 2-1 victory over Brentford was reminiscent of the comeback wins and late, late goals scored when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of the club.
Indeed, ‘Fergie time’ was often the moniker used when the Red Devils were deep into the game and required a goal to secure a positive result and nothing is more famous than the two dramatic goals in the final moments of the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
This never-say-die attitude has been missed at Old Trafford over the previous decade with a succession of managers failing to carry on the legacy of the great man and the club are a shadow of what they were.
His longevity will likely never be surpassed, and the Scot continued to build great teams across all four decades he was in charge of the Red Devils, yet might he have won more had he signed everyone that he wanted?
Who did Man United miss out on under Alex Ferguson?
The legendary gaffer managed to lure some incredible names to Old Trafford during his reign, including the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie among others.
They all played a significant part in their success, yet there may have been another couple of Premier League crowns or European titles added to the collection had Fergie managed to sign some of the names United were linked with throughout the years.
Icons such as Alan Shearer, Gabriel Batistuta, Gareth Bale and even Spaniard Raul were once linked with a move to Manchester as Fergie sought to bolster his starting XI and these are just a few of the many glamorous figures that were touted for big money moves to Old Trafford.
They all forged legacies at other clubs but one name that the club were linked with went on to become a legend at a club very close to home – Manchester City.
Remarkably, Ferguson tried to lure David Silva to the red half of the city before he eventually joined Man City, and it might well be one of his few regrets in the transfer window given Silva’s impact in the Premier League.
Did Man United come close to signing David Silva?
It appeared that United were keen on the attacking midfielder, yet Fergie wasn’t convinced by his defensive skills which scuppered a move.
“We watched Silva a lot when he was at Valencia,” said the wily Scot. “And the other player they had, the same type, years before it, played in that No.10 role.
“My problem with that was you have to be very, very good to play in that position, because there's no defensive duties for them.
“So if you're wanting to be really successful, everyone has to do their turn, has to work, you know?
“So I had a difficulty with that. But, in the end, of course, there's the greats. You could say Lionel Messi was a No.10 type, Maradona, some fantastic players, and I don't dispute that.”
His attacking prowess surely would’ve made up for his lack of defensive contributions had United signed him, and it proved to be a massive mistake, as he eventually joined City from the Spanish side for a fee of £24m in 2010 and gave Fergie a first-hand account of exactly what he missed out on.
What did David Silva achieve in his career?
Following 168 appearances for Valencia – scoring 32 goals and grabbing 36 assists – the time for Silva to test himself in the Premier League had come, and he joined the City revolution two years after their takeover.
The signing proved to be one of the greatest value-for-money buys in their history as he flaunted his creative talents in England.
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Silva played a prominent role in City’s first league title since 1968 during the 2011/12 season, registering a staggering 23 goal contributions from an attacking midfield role, and he was also a factor for their second Premier League crown in 2014, managing 18 contributions from just 27 games.
He flourished under Pep Guardiola, becoming the main link between midfield and attack and during the title-winning season of 2017/18, Silva averaged a mammoth 97.7 touches per game while holding an 89% pass success rate as he controlled games on a regular basis.
His talents in the final third were still outstanding under his enigmatic compatriot, however. He created 16 big chances and averaged 2.3 key passes during the 2018/19 season and these statistics ranked him fourth and fifth across the whole league, indicating that he was still one of the better performers in the top-flight despite his advancing years.
He enjoyed one more season at City before bowing out having won four league titles among a handful of other honours and his creative talents have certainly been missed, despite the club securing a wonderful treble last season.
Jonathan Liew heaped praise on him following his departure from City back in 2020, saying: “Genius. Magician. Best City player ever. One of the greatest-ever Premier League imports. After 10 years, David Silva finally has his due. Maybe in time, Yaya Toure will get his too. This week’s column.”
There is no disputing any of those when describing the Spaniard and might United’s recent history been radically altered had Ferguson looked over his supposed defensive fragilities?
The former Valencia starlet emerged as one of the finest ever Premier League imports during his decade in Manchester, but there is no doubt the recent history of the competition would’ve changed had United lured him to Old Trafford.
£24m may have seemed a lot in 2010 for a player who hadn’t played in England, yet it turned into a wonderful bargain for City and he only got better.
Ferguson didn’t have that many transfer mishaps over the course of his 27 years at the Red Devils, but missing out on Silva might be one which stung rather hard, especially as he got to see his talents up close during his final three seasons in charge of United.
Would the Old Trafford side be in their current predicament had Silva joined them instead of City? Who knows, but they may have been a far better team to watch during their first few years after Fergie’s retirement, that’s for sure.