I spoke to Man Utd boss about making transfer move – but I ended up joining Chelsea instead

Emmanuel Petit revealed Sir Alex Ferguson attempted to lure the French midfielder to Old Trafford before his move to Chelsea.

Petit, who began his career at Arques La Bataille, made a name for himself at Monaco with 291 appearances before Arsenal snapped him up in 1997. Under Arsene Wenger, he enjoyed a successful stint, winning the Premier League and FA Cup double in the 1997/98 season, along with back-to-back Charity Shields.

His subsequent move to Barcelona in 2000 was less fruitful, lasting just one season before he returned to the Premier League - this time with Chelsea under Claudio Ranieri. Yet, it wasn't only Chelsea that vied for his signature in 2001; Ferguson's Manchester United also showed a keen interest.

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In a candid chat with BetMGM, Petit revealed his state of mind during his uneasy period at Barcelona: "Before I joined Chelsea, Sir Alex Ferguson called me twice as he knew I wasn't happy at Barcelona and we spoke at length about the project." He also mentioned that Wenger had shown an interest in re-signing him for Arsenal, reports the Mirror.

He further revealed: "Arsene Wenger also called me to ask what the situation was but Claudio [Rainieri] came in person to meet me. We had lunch together and he was so nice. He really convinced me that Chelsea was the right move and so I moved there. Ferguson called me twice - one of which was a couple of weeks after I arrived - but I said I had made my mind up."

Petit's tenure at Chelsea lasted three years, during which he made 76 appearances for the Blues before retiring in