While many people have drawn the conclusion that Stam's comments in his recently published autobiography have led to his transfer, the Dutchman's agent insisted that the move was for 'football reasons' exclusively, and Ferguson later re-iterated this point.
Looking purely at the statistics, though, Stam's performances don't appear to have degenerated significantly in his time at the club and Manchester United's loss certainly looks like being Lazio's gain.
Few players are as composed on the ball as Stam is and Opta's evidence conclusively backs this point up. The Holland international has maintained a phenomenal record when picking out team-mates in the Premiership, connecting with a mammoth 86% of all passes in his time at United.
Granted, Stam likes to keep things simple, which will aid his accuracy. But when you consider that in only the 1999-2000 season did his pass completion rate in his own half fall to below 90%, he is clearly a player who rarely gives the ball away in dangerous areas, and that is crucial when playing at the highest level.
By way of comparison, one in five of Sol Campbell's passes in his own territory last term were wayward while a quarter of Rio Ferdinand's balls failed to connect with their intended target - Stam made 93% of his efforts stick.
And even in United's ultimately fruitless Champions League campaign he was sound in possession - only four players could better Stam's 87% passing accuracy in the entire tournament.
The stats also show that, season on season, Stam's defensive contribution has decreased. He won 107 tackles in his inaugural Premiership campaign, but that figure decreased to just 28 last term. However the Dutch star played less than half as much time in 2000-01 than he did in 1998-99, while this trend follows a more general one that over the past three seasons United have had less and less defending to do - arguably due in no small part to Stam's efficiency when dealing with opposition attacks, and the side's ability to hold on to the ball so well.
Without the giant defender in their line-up, United have generally looked more vulnerable at the back - as they did against both Aston Villa on Sunday and Blackburn in midweek. On those occasions the champions escaped with an ill-deserved point, but they haven't always managed to do so without him.
In fact, of the dozen matches that United have lost since August 1998 in the league, Stam was missing in seven of those fixtures. Last term in fact, the six losses United incurred in their successful Premiership assault were in the absence of their defensive rock.
Ferguson has made it clear that he would love to regain the European Cup in his retirement year, with the final being played in his native Glasgow. Stam was such an important member of the United side when they won the tournament in 1999 but they will have to do without him this time round.
It is time now for Wes Brown to take up the mantel of defensive lynchpin in the United side. Brown missed the whole of the 1999-2000 Premiership campaign through injury but fought back well last term, delivering on the promise he had shown as a youngster. While the England star couldn't match Stam's precision distribution, the 21-year-old performed with an assurance beyond his years, winning a higher ratio of challenges than Stam.
His manager certainly feels Brown is ready to fill the role now vacated by Stam, while another long-term injury casualty, Ronny Johnsen, is back in the side and will provide more cover for the champions.
But with or without Stam, United will have to strengthen their resolve in opening periods of the match. Last term only two Premiership sides conceded a higher proportion of goals in the first 15 minutes of their matches than Fergie's men. Meanwhile four of the last seven opposition strikes have come by the 16th minute of the game and United have gone behind in their last four matches.
The air of invincibility hanging around Old Trafford is slowly beginning to dissipate and Stam's departure may accentuate this.
