With no hope of any trophies this season and only a “possible” Europa League spot to gain, there is not much for the Manchester United fan to do but look to the future. Truth be told, there are only a handful of players that are secure in their current position. Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and David de Gea come to mind, but what about the rest?
We already know that United captain, Nemanja Vidic is off to Italian side Inter Milan. After seven seasons at Old Trafford, Vidic, who has had his injury issues over the last few years, looks to bolster Inter’s back line and help bring along the younger players. But he is not the only United defensive player on the move. Patrice Evra has been rumoured to have his sights set on returning home and signing for either Paris St. Germain or Monaco. Either would be a good fit for Evra and a more lucrative contract to boot.
Nani is drawing interest from Everton and Everton are hoping that United will sell him at a discounted rate. United might be inclined to use Nani as leverage to finally bring Leighton Baines to the club. United have been after Baines for several years and this may be the season that the transfer finally happens. Another midfielder, Shinji Kagawa is said to be heading back the way he came. Kagawa never seemed to fit in David Moyes’ plan and is expendable at this point. Moyes recently claimed that Kagawa will see more action, but is this nothing more than a ploy to show off the goods and try to raise the asking price? Borussia Dortmund are said to want Kagawa back in their lineup and are ready to pay.
There may be a couple of retirements coming soon. Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs are at the end of their football careers. So could this be the year they both hang it up? Giggs already has another job lined up as a coach on the United staff. Ferdinand on the other hand may be looking to change teams. The only problem here is that there is not much call for a defender that spends more time recovering from knocks and injuries and less time on the pitch.
We finish up with United favorite Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. Many teams are in a “wait and see” mode with again Inter Milan is showing the most interest in the United forward. Hernandez, as with Nani and Kagawa, never seemed to fit into the Moyes game plan. It is a shame for Hernandez because he is a much loved player that many United fans believe was never given a true chance to earn his place. There is no doubt that several clubs will be bidding for him here in the near future and rightly so.
As with all things, only time will tell how Manchester United look when they take to the pitch for their first match next season. It is a very good bet that they won’t look like they do today.
Source: DSG
