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| Midfielder’s future to be decided after the World Cup Posted: 04 Jul 2014 04:26 AM PDT
Reports have emerged during the week linking the former Everton man with a move away from Old Trafford after Louis Van Gaal reportedly labelled the Belgian “not a Manchester United player”, and with United looking to offload some of their under-performers this summer, Fellaini’s career at Old Trafford could come to an abrupt end.
Having signed for £27m on deadline day last summer, Fellaini became the symbol of David Moyes’ ill-fated spell at Old Trafford, failing to establish himself in the starting XI, as he made only 12 Premier League starts and looked consistently out of his depth. Things have gone a lot better for the Belgian in Brazil, where Fellaini came off the bench to score Belgium’s equaliser in their opening game against Algeria, before going on to play every minute in Belgium’s next three games as Marc Wilmots’ men booked themselves a place in tomorrow’s quarter final against Argentina. A string of positive performances with Belgium could potentially attract interested clubs over the summer, but Fellaini insisted despite a poor season at Old Trafford he has nothing prove. “I don’t have to prove (anything) – I’ve been a professional footballer for eight years,” he told Sky Sports News. The Belgian refused to be drawn on speculations over his future and when asked whether he’ll be at Old Trafford next season, he replied with a dismissive “We will see after the World Cup.” Even if United do manage to find a club interest in the Belgian midfielder, they’ll have to brace themselves for losing out on most of the £27m they shelled out last summer, as they’d only be able to recoup a fraction of the fee. |
| Deal for Argentina star to United “all but done” Posted: 03 Jul 2014 07:12 AM PDT
With Real Madrid president Florentino Perez seemingly determined to bring Colombia’s World Cup star James Rodriguez to the Bernabeu this summer, the Spanish giants might have to sell one of their stars before pursuing the Monaco playmaker and Di Maria looks set to be the latest high-profile casualty at Real, 12 months after Mesut Ozil was allowed to leave as Perez welcomed Gareth Bale to Madrid.
Spanish newspaper El Confidencial claims the Argentine will leave the Bernabeu for a fee of around €50m (£39.7m) this summer, despite enjoying a stellar season under Carlo Ancelotti – he was named man of the match in the Champions League final against Ateltico Madrid, when Real clinched their 10th European Cup in May – and earning plaudits for his performances. Monaco and Juventus are also thought to be in the running for the winger but El Confidencial says the deal that will take Di Maria to United is “all but done”, partly thanks to the strong links Mendes has with the club, to whom he brought Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2003 – Mendes, admittedly, was also responsible for luring United into signing Bebe. With United’s wingers offering little in terms of quality and even less in terms of consistency, a world class player is required to fill the gap in the position, particularly considering Louis Van Gaal’s preference for quick, sharp, counterattacking football. A fast winger capable of beating his man and creating chances is crucial if the Dutchman’s 4-3-3 formation is to be at its most effective, which would explain why United have been linked with Memphis Depay, Arjen Robben and Juan Cuadrado in recent weeks. While it remains to be seen whether Di Maria will indeed leave the Bernabeu this summer, the Argentine would a fantastic signing for United as he’s a natural winger, comfortable on the right as well as on the left but, crucially, versatile enough to be deployed through the middle, a position he flourished in at Madrid last season. Di Maria, who netted Argentina’s extra time winner against Switzerland on Tuesday, has scored 36 goals in 189 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid since joining the Spanish giants from Benfica in the summer of 2010 for a deal worth around £29m and provided 87 assists over the last four seasons. |
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