New signing Gerard Pique has revealed he was in talks with both United and Arsenal before signing for the Reds.
The 17-year-old defender says his contact with the English clubs upset his Catalan employers Barcelona.
Pique said: " The directors at Barcelona treated me very poorly. When they found out that I had been in contact with Manchester United and Arsenal regarding my future, they benched me for two months.
" In truth, I don´t think they wanted me that badly otherwise they would have offered me a new contract several months ago."
He added: " I am very excited at the prospect of this new challenge. Sir Alex Ferguson came across as a very nice man and he treated me with respect.
" He told me not to worry about anything and to work hard and that he is counting on me to become part of the club´s future. He said that if I work hard, in a few years´ time I´ll be in the first team."
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