Former player Jaap Stam has shared an intriguing incident related to his transfer to Lazio with The Overlap.
Stam recounted, “I remember I was in the national team and I told my wife that after the match on Wednesday or Thursday morning, I would go to see Fergie (referring to Sir Alex Ferguson) to talk.” The following morning, he met Ferguson in his office. But despite the meeting not going as planned, he left with a determination that he would not quit the club.
On his way back home, Stam got a phone call from his agent who asked him about his whereabouts. Stam’s response that he was heading home after an unsuccessful meeting with the manager was met with surprising news from his agent. According to Stam, “He then told me, ‘You’ve already been sold.’ I was shocked and asked, ‘What?’ To which he replied, ‘Yes, they have already agreed with the club (Lazio), and they will call you soon.'”
Shortly, but not even a minute after his call with the agent, Stam received a call from Ferguson asking him where he was. Upon learning that Stam was heading home, Ferguson, who lived near him asked him to pull over. When Stam did so, Ferguson joined him in the car and explained to him that they had agreed on a deal with Lazio. To fill his boots, the club had signed Laurent Blanc, who was available as a free agent, and planned to play him alongside Wes Brown as the central defensive pairing.