The Forlan tribute in the latest copy of the fanzine obviously did the trick, Forlan said: "It was a very swift operation, everything happened very quickly. Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to me and said that I would not really get many chances to play at United this season and recommended I accept the move. I'd like to thank him (Ferguson) for allowing me to leave given that there were so many players injured. I am not going to set myself targets, but I am coming here to work hard and do the best that I can."
The Guardian:
'Diego Forlán's status as one of Sir Alex Ferguson's most disastrous signings was confirmed last night when he moved to Villarreal, having cost Manchester United £750,000 for every Premiership goal he scored during his 2 seasons at Old Trafford.
United have refused to disclose the transfer fee but it is understood to be a fraction of the £7.5m the club paid Independiente for the Uruguay striker in January 2002.
Ferguson has been trying to offload Forlán all summer but found few clubs willing to take a gamble on a player who took nine months to register his first goal in English football and managed only 10 in 63 league appearances.
Ferguson signed Forlán on the word of his brother Martin, United's chief scout. The Old Trafford manager had never seen him play but gazumped Middlesbrough to make the seventh most expensive signing of his 18 years at the club.'