Micah Richards has quipped 'only an idiot' would turn Manchester United down in reference to Alan Shearer's decision to join Newcastle United in 1996.
Newcastle, of course, won the race to sign Shearer after Kevin Keegan and Sir Alex Ferguson went head to head in the transfer market.
The Magpies had to pay a world-record transfer fee to bring Shearer home, but the No 9 certainly proved value for money and ended up becoming the club's all-time leading goalscorer.
While discussing Robin van Persie's decision to leave Arsenal for Manchester United in 2012 on the latest edition of the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast, Shearer briefly touched on his decision to turn down a move to Old Trafford.
Here is a snippet of what Shearer, Richards and host Gary Lineker said about van Persie as they discussed the biggest transfer shocks in Premier League history...
GL: "Great player. We've talked about him many times of course. Arsenal to Manchester United. £24 million. It was seen as a massive mistake by Arsene Wenger, wasn't it? Letting your greatest and probably one of the best strikers they've ever had go to your biggest rivals at the time."
AS: "After doing so well in the Arsenal shirt but, let's face it, when Man United come calling, who turns Man United down?"
MR: "Only an idiot would do that!"
GL: "Only you, Alan!"
AS: "I understood the pull. I nearly did it myself. He went there but wasn't he disappointed because I think Fergie then left a season after him going to Man United and, obviously, Sir Alex would have been a huge pull."
