After having their first bid rejected and United having their offer accepted, Arsenal put in a second bid to Fulham which was accepted. Arsene Wenger was a big fan of the young Fulham defender and was doing all he could to lure him to Arsenal.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson met the player in London on Tuesday night after Fulham’s defeat to Spurs and that was all that was needed to get the deal sorted. Smalling is an Arsenal fan but chose to join United because we’re ‘the biggest club in the world’.

“My time at Fulham has been great and I have learned a lot about the game from Roy Hodgson and the coaching staff,” said Smalling. “But the chance of coming to the biggest club in the world is something I just couldn’t turn down. I’m excited about working with Sir Alex and the fantastic players in the squad. I’ve played a few times in the Europa League this year, but the thought of making the step up to the Champions League next year is great. I can’t wait.”

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