Fergie Had To Let Bruce Down Over Signing

Manchester United usually get all their business done long before the transfer deadline, so the stress that came with September 1st was rather foreign to us. Were we going to sign him? Would the Premier League approve it? How much were we going to pay? Would City pinch him off us?

It seems as though we weren’t the only ones involved in this stress though, with Wigan manager and former red, Steve Bruce, being let down at the last minute over a deal he thought was completed.

Frazier Campbell has revealed that Bruce showed up at the hotel where the England U-21 team were staying, with the hope of securing a deal with Campbell. Once terms for a year long loan had been agreed, Bruce was happy to have an up-and-coming striker thrown in to the mix at Wigan.

However, for the Dimitar Berbatov deal to go through, Tottenham were demanding Campbell spent next season on loan with them. Ferguson then had to let his former captain know that he wouldn’t be loaning Campbell to Wigan, much to Bruce’s disappointment.

“We were within an inch of getting Campbell,” said Bruce. “Everything had been agreed but I then got a call saying the deal was off because Campbell was now having to go to Tottenham. I was disappointed but we were scuppered once he became part of the Berbatov deal. Campbell is a very good young player who would have been a terrific addition. He would have joined us on a year-long loan deal.”

Do you think a move to Spurs will benefit Campbell more or less than Wigan?