THERE'S A FLAW TO YOUR ARGUMENT

Van Raaij:

"I'm disappointed in Manchester United. I had spoken to their directors and I thought we were going to do business.

“But when Peter Kenyon says a deal is a deal then that is what happens. When Manchester United discovered we were having financial problems they wanted to cut the fee in half from 15 million euros to 7 million.

“They did not keep to their agreement, they have let us down. They tried to take advantage and we were very disappointed over how low they believed they could push us.

“But Peter Kenyon was very important in the deal and I've dealt with him in the past in negotiations with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam. He is a fine negotiator and played a key role in the deal.

“Kenyon is trustworthy and a man of honour. He does not go back on his word but that is something United have now done. They obviously believe their name is enough to attract players and make them sign.

“But Kenyon was honest throughout and I was very impressed.”

Now United may well have gone back on their original offer but this praise for Kenyon sticks in the throat when you consider Van Raijj similarly blasted United following Van Nistelrooy’s transfer, when clearly, it must have been an entirely different Peter Kenyon he dealt with.

United said in a statement: "It is no secret we were interested in him, but our valuation was not the same as PSV's."

However, a close friend of Robben’s insisted the player would have joined United — but they wanted him to spend another season with PSV:

“Van Robben was United’s. He wanted to go there and they wanted him. But he was not prepared to be messed about, either they wanted him now or not at all.

“Chelsea came in and he was not prepared to risk losing his chance of a big move to the Premiership.”

Meanwhile United are supposedly set to miss out to Chelsea in the race for Anderlecht’s centre-back Vincent Kompany. The 17-year-old - Belgium's youngest ever international - has been the subject of talks between the clubs.

"They want to make sure they get first refusal," said an Anderlecht source.