Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his interest in Steven Defour, sending the injured Standard Liege captain a letter reassuring him that he continues to monitor his progress.
Defour, who is under contract until 2013, was heavily linked with a move to a bigger club in the summer with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly interested, while Everton had a £9million bid for the Belgium midfielder turned down. Any hope of a January transfer evaporated when the Belgium midfielder broke a bone in his foot last month but Ferguson is closely following his recovery.
The letter, which has been released to the media, reads: "Dear Steven, I have just heard about your injury and, in the name of Manchester United, I would like to wish you a full and speedy recovery."
It continues: "I am sure at the moment you must be feeling awful and that you'll have all kinds of questions.
"Steven, these are natural worries but I have to tell you that modern medicine and treatments are incredible, you have to have confidence in them.
"I'm going to follow your progress closely and I will remain in contact with your club to have news of your recovery."
Defour was delighted to receive Ferguson's letter but the 21-year-old was swift to point out that the Barclays Premier League club had done everything by the book and had sent it to his club to pass onto him.
"One thing I should like to highlight is that Ferguson has followed his interest officially," Defour told Het Laatste Nieuws. "He addressed the letter to Standard.
"I think the attention is great, but I do not want people think I am already at Manchester, which is no means the case. But if they come knocking, then I would obviously not cause problems."
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i am not a man u fan but consider myself a fan of football and cannot see what all the fuss is about a person sends get well wishes to a player that is injured if that is wrong then there is something very sad happening in our society if this person wasnt a footballer nothing would be said only what a nice person sir alex is. When my son was very ill in hospital in 2001 several derby county players and rammie came to the hospital to see him were they tapping him up for the future? i think not .
i am not a man u fan but consider myself a fan of football and cannot see what all the fuss is about a person sends get well wishes to a player that is injured if that is wrong then there is something very sad happening in our society if this person wasnt a footballer nothing would be said only what a nice person sir alex is when my son was very ill in hospital in 2001 several derby county players and rammie came to the hospital to see him where they tapping him up for the future i think not
guys.. tapping up, is related to a club contacting a player whos under contract without the knowledge of there club.. this is not the case.. the letter was sent to the club to pass on.. they did not have to pass it on if they saw it it as tapping up.. tbh there probably pleased a big club is intrested in one of there players.. its business remember..
hey bob you are wrong in saying this is worse than the cr7 thing you just are
ferguson has done nothing wrong if he had then standard liege would have never let defour tell the press
if you cannot see the difference i am sorry then it means that you are to stupid witch is not your fault
Jealous? Jealous of what? I'm stating facts. United said they did everything according to the books but so did Real Madrid. Come on, enlighten me. Tell me that I'm wrong or is the only thing that you guys could do is insult me? Oh wait, that's right. That's the ONLY thing that you guys could do. Man City has got more class than you.
My God. Some people are really thick. Some of these people must have nightmares of ManUnited. Boy do they need help. I dare not think what would happen to them if ManUnited made that four in a row history.
'Bob'. I see you're another sad soul, who's insanely jealous of Manchester United, their officials and their fans.
Why don't you grow up - cry-baby!
How is this any different to what Real Madrid did to sign Cristiano Ronaldo? If anything, it's A LOT worse since Real Madrid never contacted Ronaldo or their representatives directly while Ferguson did. Absolute hypocrites United, their officials and their fans.
dont forget rushad... 2 D I C K H E A D S
peri congratulations you have shown yourself as an illiterate who cant read or undersatnd a simple article ...well done that man !!!!
Hahaha - Nice on Fergie!! Not tapping up but the player knows where he will be next season. Very clever.
Listen everybody, Fergie writes the rules. End of story. There's definitely no ' tapping up ' here. It's as clear as day. Fergie sent the letter to Santa Claus, and Santa passed it on to Standard Liege, who passed it on to their player. He's injured anyway, so how can anybody at all call that 'tapping up' ? Even Timing God who Fergie prays to couldn't say that it was 'tapping up'.
Peri - get this... If Barca had written a letter to Rooney or Evra it would be tapping up. If they wrote the letter to Manchester United expressing an interest in the player's fitness with a view to signing him it would not.
I'll ask you again, which of the two quotes do you not understand?
I am getting sick of people on here. Fergie can't do anything without loads of accusations being posted claiming all kinds of foul play...yet the same people think they have the right to accuse him of being a drunk, senile, currupt, gay, a cheat etc. If these allegations were printed somewhere else a court case would follow.
We all know that you just wish the club that you support had such a succesful manager....and I bet you wouldn't care how red his nose is.... "Defour, who is under contract until 2013, was heavily linked with a move to a bigger club in the summer with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly interested, while Everton had a £9million bid for the Belgium midfielder turned down" ....were this clubs "tapping him up" as well? no only Utd in the eyes of youy jealous,pathetic morans.
@ Peri no brains.. "I'm going to follow your progress closely and I will remain in contact with your club to have news of your recovery." How do you tap a player up when you are in talks with the club? ANSWER YOU CAN'T!!!
Jeez, can you guys read?
Or is your obsession with United blinding you to the facts?
Its not tapping up - or even close.
Kev get this: What if... Barca had written this letter to Rooney or Evra? Would that not be tapping up either?
"I'm going to follow your progress closely and I will remain in contact with your club to have news of your recovery."
"One thing I should like to highlight is that Ferguson has followed his interest officially," Defour told Het Laatste Nieuws. "He addressed the letter to Standard."
Which of these quotes don't you understand peri?
this is what i call tapping up......shame on the FA and FIFA for having double standards for different clubs......Ferguson is a bloody D I C K H E A D and a whiskey nosed pinocchio......likes to poke his nose in matters that are not needed......disgrace!!
Tapping up again are we ALEX? Shame on you.
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