Sir Alex Ferguson's surprising first reaction when told Manchester United could sign Robin van Persie

Sir Alex Ferguson was initially reluctant to sign Robin van Persie for Manchester United due to his age and injury record, former Reds coach Rene Meulensteen has revealed.

Van Persie made the shock move to United in the summer of 2012 from rivals Arsenal after he made it clear he would not sign a new deal with the Gunners. He swapped the Emirates Stadium for Old Trafford for an overall £24m transfer fee.

The transfer proved to be a masterstroke as the Dutchman went on to score 30 goals in all competitions in his first season at Old Trafford. United won the Premier League title by 11 points, with Van Persie helping to seal it with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

Want to join our MUFC Pro club for a totally ad-free version of the MEN’s Man United app packed with premium features? Click here

READ MORE: Rasmus Hojlund completes Manchester United medical

Van Persie admitted when he joined United that the child in him was "screaming" for a move to Old Trafford. Meulensteen, who was part of Ferguson's coaching staff at Old Trafford at the time, has now shed light on how the genesis of the transfer came to being.

In January 2012, Meulensteen received a call from Van Persie's agent confirming the forward would not be extending his Arsenal contract and wanted to move to United and play under Ferguson. But Meulensteen revealed that when he put this to the then-United boss, he was not initially enthusiastic about the potential move owing to Van Persie's age and injury record.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Meulensteen said: "I think it was in January and I got a call from Robin's agent, which I knew, and he just said 'listen Rene, things at Arsenal are stalling with Robin. Robin has got