Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira has revealed that he held a meeting about joining Manchester United during his time with the Gunners, after Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to partner him with Roy Keane.Arsenal and United were major rivals at the time, and one of the fiercest battles in the league involved Vieira and Keane competing in midfield for their respective clubs. Their matches were often heated, with both players regularly confronting one another as tensions rose on the pitch.Ferguson recognised that Vieira was an outstanding player for Arsenal and was determined to add the Frenchman to his squad. He worked to make the deal possible, and Vieira has now revealed that he agreed to meet the iconic manager, who was attempting to lure him away from north London.Vieira Met FergusonThe Senegal manager may not have been interested in completing the move, but he agreed to meet Ferguson because of the respect he had for the United boss. Vieira explained that he wanted to hear the manager’s vision directly before making any decision.He said via The Sun:“Full respect, I couldn’t say no to meeting him because he was an important figure in the Premier League.“We met and we talked and he explained to me his vision that he had for Manchester United and the team that he wanted to build.“He wanted to play me with Roy Keane, Giggs on the left-hand side, David Beckham on the right-hand side and [Paul] Scholes to play behind [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy, so it wasn’t a bad team.”(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Ferguson Planned Star Line-UpFerguson’s proposed team would have contained several of United’s most recognisable players, with Vieira and Keane forming a powerful midfield partnership. Giggs and Beckham would have provided width, while Scholes would have operated behind Van Nistelrooy.Although Vieira ultimately remained with Arsenal, the meeting demonstrated how highly Ferguson rated him. The proposed line-up also showed the scale of the manager’s ambition and the attraction of joining Manchester United during one of the most competitive periods in Premier League history._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsPatrick Vieira held secret talks to join Arsenal’s bitter rivals30 September 2026, 16:00Arsenal is getting serious about signing Como star30 September 2026, 15:00Pundit thinks loan move to Scotland will help Arsenal youngster30 September 2026, 14:00The post Patrick Vieira held secret talks to join Arsenal’s bitter rivals appeared first on Just Arsenal News.