Rafa Benitez Reveals His Clever Tactic to Try and Snag Manchester United Legend Nemanja Vidic
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has opened up about his attempts to sign Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic during his time at the Reds. In a recent interview with the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Benitez revealed that he went to great lengths to try and convince Vidic to join Liverpool, even enlisting the help of his girlfriend to try and sway the defender’s decision.
According to Benitez, he had a meeting with Vidic before he joined Manchester United and knew that the Serb defender was not going to join Liverpool. He recalled: "I knew 100% that he was not coming for us. When I was talking to him, I had to talk through his girlfriend because [she spoke] English. She said, ‘I like the cities Manchester and Liverpool’."
Benitez went on to explain that he knew Vidic’s girlfriend was a key player in persuading him to join Manchester United, revealing: "I knew right away, why else is he talking about Manchester. So, I knew they were making a bigger offer than us." The former Liverpool manager highlighted the financial constraints that his team faced during his time at the club, saying: "We didn’t have the money to buy players, and we didn’t have the money to pay players either."
The issue of Liverpool’s financial struggles is a well-documented one, with Benitez revealing that the club’s owners at the time, Fenway Sports Group, were lucky to have sold Fernando Torres for £50 million, which provided the funds to spend on new players. The Spaniard highlighted the differences between Liverpool and other top teams in the Premier League, saying: "Manchester United was winning trophies; Chelsea was winning trophies and even Arsenal was winning trophies. So, it was very difficult – you have to convince players."
Benitez’ candid comments offer a fascinating insight into the machinations of the transfer market, highlighting the clever tactics that managers will use to try and persuade top players to join their teams. His admission that he was prepared to go to great lengths to try and sign Vidic is a testament to his tenacity and dedication to the Reds, even if it ultimately proved unsuccessful.
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