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The Premier league title may well be in the bag for the Red Devils, but they still are not even close to the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the fact that Chelsea and Manchester City would be spending millions in the summer transfer window means that Fergie may need to make some quality additions to his ‘not-one-of-the-best’ squad so that his dream of eclipsing Liverpool‘s record of five European Cups stays on course. And with reports of Fergie being provided with a hefty transfer kitty widespread, let’s have a look on the possible arrivals and departures.
ARRIVALS
1) Robert Lewandowski:
Well, this must not surprise or astonish many people, as it looks like this 24-year old talent is on his way to the Theatre of Dreams. Initially, it looked like Munich were going to steal the march on United and capture Lewandowski, but after losing their main man to Munich in the form of Mario Gotze, Dortmund cannot risk losing another of their assets to the Bavarian giants and hand them the 2013-14 Bundesliga title before the season even starts. Furthermore, Fergie has even made clear his intention to go for Lewandowski, and when Fergie eyes a player he is hell bent on capturing him. With only a year left on Lewandowski’s contract, a good offer may woo the former Bundesliga champions into selling him.
Estimated price: £23m-£25m
Chances of deal happening: Highly likely
2) Leighton Baines:
This deal must have taken place last year, but Fergie’s reluctance to splash more cash last season meant that Baines had to spend another season at Goodison Park, where he proved why he has been touted as the best left-back in England, with stellar performances throughout the year. With David Moyes’ Toffees future hanging in the balance, the usual clamour to snap up the Goodison Park side’s top talents may be even more ferocious, and Baines, at 28, may now feel it’s time to move on after six seasons at Goodison Park. If Leighton Baines wants to be the first choice at the 2014 World Cup, he would like to move to Old Trafford where his performances would be taken a greater note of by the England manager Roy Hodgson.
Estimated price: £15m-£17m
Chances: High
3) James Rodriguez:
Manchester United, under Sir Alex Ferguson, was always known for its plethora of quality wingers, but this season has been anything but. Valencia’s drastic loss of form due to his one-dimensional play, Young’s injury concerns and Nani’s tantrums means that the wingers have contributed very little to their club’s success, and Fergie must be concerned about that matter. With the arrival of Wilfried Zaha in summer, the arrival of James Rodriguez would breathe fresh life into United’s wing department. Rodriguez, who won the the Portuguese Golden Ball award in 2012, is one of the most exciting and sought-after talents in Europe. United had a bid of about £25m rejected last year as they would have had been wary about spending more on a raw talent, but after another mindblowing season at FC Porto, United would surely be hell bent on signing him this year.
Estimated price: £32m-£35m
Chances: Possible
4) Ezequiel Garay:
Manchester United’s defence is not as great as it used to be and no one can argue with that fact. Although the Red Devils have been much better in the last 10-15 games, Fergie would know that his defence requires some quality additions, and the answer to this dilemma is Garay. He is a 26-year old defender who has earned his fame at Benfica with consistent performances and is one of Europe’s finest. His style of defending is very similar to that of Ferdinand. The centre-back would have to adjust to the rigours of the English game, but at 26 years old, now is the perfect time for Ferguson to take a punt on the centre-back, someone he could easily build a new defence around for the future. Considering Rio’s age , Vidic and Smalling’s injury record, and Evans’ inexperience, Garay is a real must for the Red Devils.
Estimated price: £15m-£20m
Chances: Possible
5) Kevin Strootman:
Manchester United have really lacked an aggressive holding midfielder after the mercurial Roy Keane. It looked like Darren Fletcher would be the one to fill the void, but his series of injuries meant that Fletcher could never become ‘the one’. Manchester United lack creativity and thrust in the midfield. Manchester City have Yaya Toure and David Silva, Arsenal have Cazorla, while Chelsea have Ramires and Hazard. Strootman could insert some thrust into the Manchester United midfield. With Scholes on the brink of retirement, Anderson and Cleverley’s injury records mean that Carrick has never found an able and consistent partner in the midfield with the exception of the versatile Jones. He has even got some goals in him, making him an all-round player.
Estimated price: £17m-£20m
Chances: Outside chance
DEPARTURES
1) Nani:
Nani was seen as the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo‘ when Ronaldo left Old Trafford, but he has failed to live up to that billing, not justifying his £22m price tag. There was one season where he set Old Trafford on fire, but he has been unable to emulate the same success, and after another poor performance against Arsenal it looks like the fate of this 26-year old is sealed. With arrival of Zaha and apparent interest of Juventus, Nani may end his stay at Manchester United this summer. With only one year remaining on his contract, United would like to cash in on him this summer.
Estimated Price: £12m-£15m
Possible destinations: Juventus
2) Anderson:
Manchester United signed Anderson from Porto for £20m in July 2007 and Ferguson quoted that he could go on to become one of the best in the world, but when you look back at Anderson’s career at United, you start thinking whether he was joking. Firstly, no one knows what position Anderson is best at; he sometimes plays at CDM, turns up sometimes at CM and in the end plays at CAM. This has been the story of this 25-year old’s career at United; poor form, picking up good form, and bam! An injury, and the same cycle again. He has scored a mere 9 goals in 167 appearances for the Red Devils and that is unacceptable. Fergie has been very patient, but it seems like his patience may run out this summer.
Estimated Price: £12m-£15m
Possible destinations: Porto and Tottenham
3) Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez:
I have reluctantly added this player to this list, but it is impossible to leave him out, as much as the fans would want this player to stay at the Old Trafford club. He is a fantastic talent and cannot afford to waste his talent on the bench. He is one of the best finishers in Europe and any club would like to have a player like him in their squad. Unlike the above two, Hernandez has fully justified his £7m price tag and he has scored goals, goals and goals. He is just unlucky to be in a team consisting of Wayne Rooney and RVP, not to forget the talented Welbeck. This is one of the transfers that Manchester United would like to avoid, but Hernandez would not be willing to stay another year. With Hernandez only 24 and in his prime, he would like to play more and hence this move is imminent.
Estimated price: £17m-£22m
Possible destinations: Athletico Madrid, Chelsea
4) Anders Lindegaard:
When Manchester United signed Lindegaard in November 2010, former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel opined that Lindegaard was not fit for Premier League action, and his views have turned out to be true. Lindegaard has never got acclimatized with the Premier League and has always been making faults. He has been given chances but has faltered, and now with the rise in the form of PFA Goalkeeper of the Year David De Gea, it is very clear that Anders has lost his chance to be the star at the Premier League champions. Do not expect him to be on the Old Trafford bench next year.
Estimated price: £2m-£3m
Possible destinations: Any small premier league club
5) Federico Macheda and Bebe:
“And Macheda!!,” shouted out Martin Tyler as Macheda scored the stunning winner against Aston Villa and sealed a 3-2 victory. Manchester United fans thought they had a great talent in their ranks, but Macheda proved to be anything but. His career has never taken off and his career has been dependent on loans here and there. Considering the riches of Manchester United in the striking department, he is surely to be sold.
When Bebe was signed for a fee of £7.4m, football fans thought that it was another Fergie masterstroke, but he has been a flop and like Macheda has been going out on loan consistently. Fergie only had seen some videos of Bebe before signing him, and the fans must be thinking that the videos were fake. Au revoir, twin flops!
Estimated total price: £10m-£12m
Possible destinations for Bebe: Besiktas
Possible destinations for Macheda: Fiorentina, Stuttgart
So that is that! I think. Some Red Devils’ fans might have been disappointed by the absence of Ronaldo and Bale or other big names in the arrivals list, but they are unlikely to move to Old Trafford due to their hefty price tags. Also, Rooney is not in the departures list because Fergie knows that he is the moving force of the Red Devils squad.
