Source: Telegraph
Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic becomes Real Madrid's £20million summer target
Real have identified the Serbia international as their top defensive target and sporting director Jorge Valdano believes the club can take advantage of Vidic's desire to play in southern Europe.[LNB]Although Vidic is contracted to United until 2012, the failure of his wife, Ana, to settle in the North West has left the 28 year-old open to the prospect of a move away from Old Trafford next summer.[LNB]United have no immediate plans to negotiate a new contract with Vidic and it is understood that the club could be prepared to do business with Real, who prised Cristiano Ronaldo from Old Trafford in a world-record £80 million deal last summer, if they receive an offer closer to their £30 million valuation.[LNB]A player exchange involving the France forward Karim Benzema, who chose Real ahead of United last summer, could also prompt a deal.[LNB]United's recent defensive injury crisis, which left them without eight first-team defenders earlier this month, is easing with Vidic, Wes Brown and Gary Neville fit to face Wigan at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.[LNB]Continuing concerns over Rio Ferdinand's ability to beat a back injury have been allayed with Ferguson insisting on Tuesday that the England defender would be "back soon".[LNB]With Vidic's future being the subject of speculation since the end of last season, however, United have been actively scouring the market for defensive reinforcements.[LNB]Palermo defender Simon Kjaer has impressed Ferguson's scouts, but United are also monitoring Bolton's Gary Cahill, Porto defender Bruno Alves, the Juventus centre-half Giorgio Chiellini and CSKA Moscow teenager Uros Cosic.[LNB]Despite the protracted war of words between Ferguson and former Real president, Ramon Calderón, during the year-long Ronaldo transfer saga, United have done regular business with Real in recent seasons, with David Beckham, Carlos Queiroz, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gabriel Heinze and Ronaldo all leaving for the Bernabeu.[LNB]Ferguson insists that United have proved there is life after Ronaldo this season. Three points against Wigan on Wednesday will place the champions second going into the new year and the manager claims his team are as strong as ever.[LNB]He said: "Cristiano Ronaldo is an unbelievable player, but it was inevitable that, at some point, he was going to leave, yet I think we've adjusted fairly well. Antonio Valencia has done very well and his development is very good. He is as tough as old boots, really tough. He's a different type of player to Cristiano.[LNB]"We knew that goals would maybe be an issue for us and we made the point earlier in the season that midfield needed to chip in with a few.[LNB]"But we're not doing too badly and we've scored more goals than we did last season at this time. They are all weighing in from different positions, so why worry?"[LNB]Dimitar Berbatov has scored just five league goals this campaign, but Ferguson has admitted that the Bulgarian has been playing despite having a knee problem. Ferguson said: "He's had a bit of a niggle, but he's much better and it's improved. It's not the case that he needs an operation.[LNB]"We're treating it quite carefully in the sense of his number of games because we know we'll need him in the important part of the second half of the season. But on Sunday, against Hull, he felt fine and hopefully it's gone now."[LNB]Ferguson has confirmed that goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is on indefinite compassionate leave as a result of his wife, Annemarie, suffering a suspected brain haemorrhage last week.[LNB][LNB]
