SQL Server Linked Servers and Remote Statistics
What I do is this 'trick':

Give this 'linkuser' read, whatever else needed and ddl_admin privileges, then run the following script to ensure that none of the ddl_admin privileges can actually be used. 

But by being technically member of ddl_admin the user can now see statistics in the remote db! (note: from SQL2012SP1 there is no need for this hack, the stats are visible as they should be)

DENY CREATE TABLE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE VIEW TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE PROCEDURE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE FUNCTION TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE RULE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE DEFAULT TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE TYPE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE ASSEMBLY TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE XML SCHEMA COLLECTION TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE SCHEMA TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE SYNONYM TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE AGGREGATE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE MESSAGE TYPE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE SERVICE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE CONTRACT TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE REMOTE SERVICE BINDING TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE ROUTE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE QUEUE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE ASYMMETRIC KEY TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE FULLTEXT CATALOG TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE CERTIFICATE TO [LinkUser]
DENY CREATE DATABASE DDL EVENT NOTIFICATION TO [LinkUser]
DENY CHECKPOINT TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY SCHEMA TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY ASSEMBLY TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY DATASPACE TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY MESSAGE TYPE TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY CONTRACT TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY SERVICE TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY REMOTE SERVICE BINDING TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY ROUTE TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY FULLTEXT CATALOG TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY SYMMETRIC KEY TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY ASYMMETRIC KEY TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY CERTIFICATE TO [LinkUser]
DENY REFERENCES TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY DATABASE DDL TRIGGER TO [LinkUser]
DENY ALTER ANY DATABASE EVENT NOTIFICATION TO [LinkUser]