Manchester United’s 2014 signing of Marcos Rojo has resurfaced in discussion after comments from Paul Scholes suggested the transfer may have been influenced by Louis van Gaal’s grandson playing FIFA (called EA FC nowadays).
As relayed by Portuguese newspaper A Bola, the former Manchester United midfielder said during a podcast that the Dutch manager first heard about the Argentina defender through the video game. According to Scholes, Van Gaal’s grandson highlighted Rojo while playing FIFA, prompting the coach to take notice.
Nicky Butt, who also appeared on the podcast, supported the wider point about football games shaping how younger generations discover players.
“When you look at kids today – my son at ten years old could work in a scouting department,” Butt said. “He knew every player, everything about them, all through FIFA on the PlayStation.”
Butt even suggested his own children had previously identified players before they became widely known in European football.
“I remember my son telling me three players we should sign. I’d never heard of them. Believe it or not, about two years later those players signed for big European clubs.”
Scholes then introduced the Rojo anecdote: “It’s said Louis van Gaal signed a player on his grandson’s recommendation. He pointed out Marcos Rojo from Argentina while playing FIFA,” he said.
A Bola explanation of the transfer
However, Portuguese newspaper A Bola explains that the situation surrounding Rojo’s move to Manchester United was not quite as Scholes described.
The defender joined United from Sporting CP in August 2014 for around £16m (€18.5m). Importantly, negotiations between the two clubs had already begun weeks before Van Gaal officially took charge at Old Trafford.
The Dutch manager only assumed control of the club after the 2014 World Cup. That tournament had already given Rojo major international exposure, as he played a key role for Argentina in Brazil.
In fact, Argentina eliminated the Netherlands – Van Gaal’s side – in the quarter-finals. Rojo started the match at left-back and played the full 120 minutes in the 0-0 draw before Argentina progressed on penalties.
Given that direct encounter and the timing of negotiations, A Bola argue it is difficult to suggest Van Gaal discovered the player through a video game.
Gaming and scouting can overlap – but not here
Paul Scholes
Stories like the one shared by Scholes highlight how football culture and gaming culture often intersect. Titles such as FIFA have made many players familiar to fans long before they appear regularly on television.
Even so, Rojo’s move to Manchester United appears to follow a far more traditional path. His performances at the 2014 World Cup and Sporting’s negotiations with United already placed the transfer in motion.
As a result, while Van Gaal’s grandson may well have mentioned the defender during a game, A Bola make it clear that the transfer itself did not happen in the way Scholes described.