Bébé was an impulse purchase for Manchester United, says Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson has acknowledged that the decision to sign Bébé for £7.4m represented something of an impulse purchase, saying that Manchester United would normally spend more time scouting a player before making an approach.
"It is one of those things that happens when you identify someone with potential," Ferguson said. "Normally you would assess someone over a longer period of time but other clubs were starting to have a look so we made a quick decision.
"He doesn't speak any English, so that needs to be addressed, and we need to allow him to settle in but sometimes you have to work on an impulse."
Bébé played football in a homeless team during a brief spell on the streets before his potential was spotted by a Portuguese third division team, where he first came to prominence, and Ferguson paid tribute to the speed of his rise, saying: "It is a fairytale when you read about his background."
Ferguson also said he was happy United's Premier League opener with Newcastle has been moved to Monday evening for live television coverage.
"It is a blessing for us to have this game on Monday," Ferguson said. "We have had quite a few players travelling during the week. Javier Hernández was in Mexico, Park Ji-sung has been in South Korea, Rafael Da Silva was in Brazil, Jonny Evans played for Northern Ireland in Montenegro and Nemanja Vidic had a match in Serbia.
"You are always wondering how these players come back and you have to wait until the Friday for a training session."