Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has revealed that manager Sir Alex Ferguson consulted his senior players before signing Robin van Persie in the summer.

Van Persie moved to United for £24m from Arsenal in August and has become the team's key player.

Meulensteen said that the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were asked about the move to see if a player from Arsenal could cause a problem in the dressing room.

"The players at United never saw Robin as an intruder," Meulensteen told Sky Sports News. "The boss and I tested that before we moved for him. We dropped Robin's name with Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

"They both thought it would be outrageous if Robin came to United, and so did all the other players.

"The reason we discussed it with Ryan and Paul is because they stand for the culture in the dressing room, they keep and protect it."

Since moving to United, Van Persie has become the Premier League top scorer with 18 goals.