Premier League - Italian claims United deal

Eurosport - Sat, 04 Jul 16:28:00 2009

Empoli youngster Alberto Massacci has claimed that he has signed for Premier League champions Manchester United.

FOOTBALL Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who won the Barclays manager of the year award. United defender Nemanja Vidic won the player of the year award. - 0

The 16-year-old right-back has never figured in the first-team squad of the Serie B side but impressed United's scouts during an international youth team event last year, where he was voted player of the tournament.

"When they called me, I really couldn't believe it," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I didn't believe that it was really him (Sir Alex Ferguson pictured) on the phone."

Reports suggest Massacci has already spent three days in Manchester, having a medical, and is set to fly back on Sunday to sign on the dotted line, and the teenager admits he has been left somewhat stunned by it all.

He added: "It was him (Ferguson), and I had an hour-long chat with him, in English. He seemed to me a modest, simple, incredible person.

"Nobody, not him, nor the whole atmosphere, made the pressure of who they are and what they represent in footballing history weigh on my shoulders."

He added: "In life a chance like this only comes past you once, and you've got to grab it with both hands.

"Even if at 16 years old it isn't an easy decision, you have to leave your home, family and friends. But I don't want to have regrets."

It is not the first time Ferguson and United have raided Italian youth teams, having previously snapped up Giuseppe Rossi and Federico Macheda.

Massacci becomes United's third signing of the summer, after shelling out £15million on Antonio Valencia and bringing in free agent Michael Owen.

PA Sport

Comment 8 - 27 of 67

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  1. This year Man.Ure will be disgusting to watch
    next year­ will be cheaper in the championship
    Thanks Fergie

    From murpani, on Sun 5 Jul 2:08AM
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    It's the end of an era at Man Utd. Maybe­ they'll go on to even greater things but this­ chapter is ending. Fergie will retire before this­ restructuring is complete. In one or two seasons the­ fans will become impatient and he will realise that he­ does not have enough years left to ride out the storm­ and impose his new vision.
    The spotlight is on Ronaldo­ but the records are a tribute to this great man. 80­ million is a value attributable to Fergie also. SAF­ made that player and upped the price by 20m just by­ persuading him to stay another 12 months.
    Owen will­ turn out to be another stroke of genius. For free!­ Physical health is affected much by psychological­ contentment. Say no more. The press were harping on­ about Stoke City and Hull and the public were following­ the muck cart believing he was finished. Fergie­ however, was planning the wedding by believing in his­ own eyes and what they see in a player's potential.­ A whole new light has been cast on Michael Owen and yet­ nothing has really changed.
    Many young players with­ potential like this young Italian boy have been and­ will be signed. Most will go unnoticed as a signing and­ as a player. But this article is nothing more than the­ press building hype that another Ronaldo is about to be­ born from the Fergie vision of genius.
    It ain't­ gonna happen.

    From i_cottrell, on Sun 5 Jul 1:58AM

  3. Post 9
    Yes I find it quite disgusting!

    From juan.martin_del_potro, on Sun 5 Jul 1:35AM

  4. So nice that Fergie takes such an interest in 16 year­ old boys...

    From juan.martin_del_potro, on Sun 5 Jul 1:33AM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Human nature you do not know football. fergie is not­ looking for people to replace ronaldo and teves. he­ buying in players who can play alongside rooney and­ berbatov and players whoo develop a good partnership­ with them. also owen is a good player he just needs­ match practice and a good run and he will be a good­ player and a good goal scorer. get your facts right­ before you send comments.

    From modernlifeisworsethenrubbish, on Sun 5 Jul 1:28AM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Moron will assume that SAF signed Owen to replace­ Tevez. Man United have lot of people who can do a­ better job then Tevez. i am great SAF didn't throw­ away 25.5m for Tevez. I hope he will give the younger­ player more starting to gain experience. Liverpool will­ never win anything!!!

    From henrckw001, on Sun 5 Jul 1:22AM

  7. Man utd will struggle this season, and fergie won't­ spend daft money on players as Chelsea and Arsenal­ won't, the transfer market will take time to calm­ down after Real Madrid and Man City have inflated it to­ daft prices for average players, the only people who­ are happy are the agents.

    From jaywakey, on Sun 5 Jul 1:09AM

  8. Can anyone tell who this alberto massicci. Is he good ?­ But anyway good luck another young talent for man­ united.Macheda is the future...

    From spiderpig, on Sun 5 Jul 12:58AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    How many times have the idiots written on here, that­ sir alex has lost the plot,it goes back at least 10­ years, time the idiots checked the silverware, hope he­ keeps on losing the plot.

    From joy s, on Sun 5 Jul 12:55AM

  10. give it 5-7 years and he'll be worth around a bomb,­ the'll sell him to a spanish giant. Then the­ process starts again. its a good deal all round really

    From tomsmith1, on Sun 5 Jul 12:51AM

  11. I have always admired Ferguson,but this time I think he­ has lost it. Ronaldo departure coupled with Tevez­ leaving had driven the scots man nuts.

    Michael Owen?­ To replace Tevez or Ronaldo or both?

    Normally Ferguson­ will go back to the basics in times like this. Buy­ young gifted players to prepare for the future.but the­ Owen deal makes no sense whatsoever. he sint going to­ deliver now,and wont be there for the future. So what­ is the reasoning here?

    From Human Nature, on Sun 5 Jul 12:46AM

  12. Richard A you must be an idiot, or you can't read,­ the artical says the conversation they had was in­ ENGLISH.
    He added: "It was him (Ferguson), and I­ had an hour-long chat with him, in English.

    From clive V, on Sun 5 Jul 12:45AM

  13. United need one more striker. Luis Fabiano is very good­ but at 28 I'd prefer someone younger. I think Klaas­ jan Huntelaar has the potential to make the impact Ruud­ van Nistelrooy made. At 24 years of age and most­ probably at a price of £20m I think he would be a very­ good buy.

    From Sean F, on Sun 5 Jul 12:41AM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    All of a sudden fergie speaks Italian.

    What an @#$%­ hole, fergie that is.

    From Richard A., on Sun 5 Jul 12:34AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Football is the most boring sport in the World.

    From MDxchris, on Sun 5 Jul 12:27AM

  16. Hi I think that the Man.U is able to rise in this­ season without the lack that CR7 will be causes to­ every team.
    Meanwhile, the club is the most wealth of­ the world neither the Real Madrid is nothing whether us­ wanting to compares with the empires since 1980s years­ until today
    Hurrah, Man.U and Sir Alex Ferguson

    From Sarmento Abel, on Sun 5 Jul 12:15AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    A OM WETCHAN THA MAXED WHEELCHAR DAUBLES. MECHAL OWEN­ AS PLAYAN.

    From Donney, on Sun 5 Jul 12:07AM

  18. Sign Luis Fabiano or Sergio Aguero. Offer one of the­ team 30 million for one of the strikes.

    From Tshireletso, on Sun 5 Jul 12:04AM

  19. you got to admit, fergie well seasoned at nuturing­ young talent.

    From pfi100, on Sat 4 Jul 11:59PM

  20. B4ts - well, you hardly want to scare him off do you??

    From joshua, on Sat 4 Jul 11:57PM
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