Vidic to leave in the summer

Ok, maybe lazy journalism but the story has resurfaced again.

Sir Alex Ferguson is facing up to a long-term defensive crisis caused by Rio Ferdinand’s injury problems and the fact that Nemanja Vidic still wants to move abroad.

Manchester United manager Ferguson has had to juggle his back four and goalkeeper constantly this season as injuries to key players have prevented him sticking with a settled defensive line-up.

It is understood Ferguson now has real worries about the future after being told that Ferdinand’s back problem is likely to re-occur throughout his career and having reluctantly realised that he will not be able to hold on to Vidic for much longer.

The two players have been at the heart of everything United have achieved in recent years and the season began with Ferguson hoping they would be together at the centre of his defence for two or three seasons to come at least.
But it is apparent now that Vidic will leave the club in the near future after becoming frustrated with life off the pitch in Manchester.

Despite the 28-year-old Serbian denying suggestions earlier this year that his wife Ana was unhappy in England, it remains the case that the couple do have an eye on a move to southern Europe — in all likelihood Spain.

Want-away? Vidic and his wife Ana who has her eye on a move to Spain
Vidic remains grateful to Ferguson loomsfor giving him the opportunity to move west when he bought him from Spartak Moscow in January 2006 and has not ruled out staying until the end of his current £70,000-a-week contract until 2012.

United will try to tempt him with a new contract in the following six months but he is unlikely to sign one and there is no way, particularly in the current economic climate, that United will allow his current deal simply to run down.

This means the English champions will have to think about selling him next summer or soon after if they are not to lose one of the best central defenders in the Barclays Premier League for a knockdown fee.
Coincidentally, Vidic has this week given an interview to a United fanzine in which he was asked about his future.
The Serbia centre half said: ‘To be honest, you never know what is going to happen. I’ll be 30 by the end of my contract.

Have a word: Vidic believes his future remains undecided
‘I can’t say what is going to happen in one year, two years’ time. At the moment I’m happy and I’m here. See what the club is going to say, what it is going to be.

‘I want to play here well and for the fans and everyone to be happy with me, to see that I give the right effort, to give my best, to give 100 per cent. What is going to happen in the future, that no one knows.
I definitely have two-and-a-half years left on my contract here and I will stay here.’
Vidic will play at the heart of United’s defence tonight as Ferguson’s team face Turkish side Besiktas at Old Trafford in what is virtually a Champions League dead rubber.

Ferdinand remains sidelined with the back problem that has kept him out of the team and it appears this is something that will have to be managed in the long term.

Can definitely see him going in the summer. If he doesn't join Barcelona I'll bite off my own #@&%! and eat in with a nice baguette. Well, mini hot dog bun. The good thing is, we have a ready replacement in Ol' Johhny Boy. And Ritchie de Laet is more than capable of performing on the biggest stage.

Well, Rio needs to get his back sorted, Evans can step in alongside him with Brown and Cathcart backing up. We'll be fine. Very strong at CB and tbh if Vidic's form doesn't improve he'd hardly be missed. i think he'll stay mind.

Story also in The Times.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Well, Rio needs to get his back sorted, Evans can step in alongside him with Brown and Cathcart backing up. We'll be fine. Very strong at CB and tbh if Vidic's form doesn't improve he'd hardly be missed. i think he'll stay mind.

I'm not convinced by Cathcart I have to say, I wonder whether Fergie will decide to cash in on Vidic and with Rio looking increasingly unreliable fitness wise I expect us to make a bid for a youngish high profile CB - maybe this Danish lad who's name keeps cropping up, Simon Kjaer

Linkage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Kj%C3%A6r

Originally Posted by Pete's Shoes

I'm not convinced by Cathcart I have to say, I wonder whether Fergie will decide to cash in on Vidic and with Rio looking increasingly unreliable fitness wise I expect us to make a bid for a youngish high profile CB - maybe this Danish lad who's name keeps cropping up, Simon Kjaer

Linkage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Kj%C3%A6r

What a dish.

Originally Posted by Pete's Shoes

I'm not convinced by Cathcart I have to say, I wonder whether Fergie will decide to cash in on Vidic and with Rio looking increasingly unreliable fitness wise I expect us to make a bid for a youngish high profile CB - maybe this Danish lad who's name keeps cropping up, Simon Kjaer

Linkage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Kj%C3%A6r

From what i've seen and heard Cathcart has done very well on his loan spells and has now broken into the NI squad. Think he's developing well tbh.

I watched that Kjaer on the italian footie the other week, he scored a goal then was the cause of two conceded with completely inept defending.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

he scored a goal then was the cause of two conceded with completely inept defending.

like for like replacement then?

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

like for like replacement then?

Originally Posted by thatsfuctit

like for like replacement then?

Summat like that, it was only one game i saw but he looked £#%&!ing shit tbh.

im quite relaxed about player exits now, doesnt really get bigger than some of the players we've let go under SAF and we've always cracked on so to speak.

TBH - it may be near jerk but the player looks in decline and for me Evans is going to be the real deal anyway. 20M - thanks very much and cheers for the memories

Didn't we agree a deal to sell Cathcart to Newcastle in August but he didn't pass the medical?

Originally Posted by LaPaz

Didn't we agree a deal to sell Cathcart to Newcastle in August but he didn't pass the medical?

There was a lot of confusion over that, think it turned out it was a loan, not a permanent deal.

Cathcart won't make it anyway. He'll be gone in the summer.

Originally Posted by koppas

Cathcart won't make it anyway. He'll be gone in the summer.

I'd be surprised by that tbh. You sound very certain.

Heard the same stuff about Evans in the last coupla years mind.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

I'd be surprised by that tbh. You sound very certain.

Just what my sauces tell me.

Originally Posted by koppas

Just what my sauces tell me.

You are ITK are you.

Originally Posted by koppas

Ok, maybe lazy journalism but the story has resurfaced again.



Can definitely see him going in the summer. If he doesn't join Barcelona I'll bite off my own #@&%! and eat in with a nice baguette. Well, mini hot dog bun. The good thing is, we have a ready replacement in Ol' Johhny Boy. And Ritchie de Laet is more than capable of performing on the biggest stage.

Bought that Ukrainian lad start of season, they've got Milito, Puyol, Chygrynskiy, Pique, Márquez. Can't see them spending another £30mil on another defender.

Any links to this "fanzine" interview?

Stays on here.

Originally Posted by koppas

Stays on here.

Well I'm not gonna tell real people anything said by you so that's fine.

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Well I'm not gonna tell real people anything said by you so that's fine.

That's not very nice.