United look to Nani

May 30, 2007

Sir Alex Ferguson

UNITED are looking to make Sporting Lisbon winger Nani their second summer signing.

Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed he wanted to bring in at least three new faces in an effort to ensure the Premiership title remains at Old Trafford next season.

A £17million deal for England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is only believed to require the finishing touches before going through and although United did miss out on Southampton starlet Gareth Bale, it appears the Red Devils are eager to ensure Nani does not slip through the net.

The 20-year-old has refused to sign an extension to his present contract, which expires in the summer.

Talks

It is rumoured United chief executive David Gill and assistant manager Carlos Queiroz have flown to Lisbon for talks over a possible move, with reports in the Portuguese press suggesting the deal could even involve Nani spending next season on loan with his current club.

Certainly, if a move did take place, Ferguson would hope Nani could have a similar impact to the last player United signed from Sporting, footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.

Meanwhile, United are believed to be close to abandoning the Malaysian leg of their Far East tour.

The Old Trafford outfit had hoped a personal visit from Gill to Malaysia could help resolve the row which has erupted over their visit, which was part of the country's 50th anniversary celebrations but also clashes with the prestigious Asia Cup.

However, with the Asian Football Confederation holding the right of veto over the fixture, scheduled for July 27, and showing no sign of bending, the point is approaching when United finally admit defeat and find an alternative fixture to slot into a pre-season programme which already includes an Old Trafford encounter with Inter Milan on August 1.

Would you like to see Nani at United? Have your say.

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Tony Massive, Northwich (30/05/2007 at 16:10)

His contract expires next summer not this summer and his buy out clause is £13.6 Million although I'm sure United will try to knock that down. I have not seen him play, although he is expected to play in Portugal's next game. I'm convinced this deal will happen although I have heard nothing to suggest he will be loaned back. £13.6 Million is a lot of money for a player to be loaned back.

Demo, Glossop (30/05/2007 at 16:13)

his contract ends in the summer? surely we should be able to get him for nothing then? and we dont wanna be loaning him out we need someone to replace giggs now! would be good if we can get him tho

redarmy, rochdale (30/05/2007 at 16:16)

Dont think fergie get him signed and a striker and some more midfielders too.
Get 5 or more players signed.

John A (30/05/2007 at 16:16)

Definitely Nani + Huntelaar!

A Mancunian, Manchester (30/05/2007 at 16:25)

Excellent news - if we can get at least 3 players, this will have been a very positive summer. A couple more after that would be a good bonus, ideally a right back being one of them.

Alias Smith, over the moon (30/05/2007 at 16:30)

Just a rumour by the looks of it albeit a nice one to read! Fingers crossed.

Joe, Malta (30/05/2007 at 16:31)

Nani is quite similar to the Ronaldo of 3 seasons ago - lots of raw talent but not quite a "team player". To their credit the coaching staff at OT helped Ronaldo in changing his game and making better use his extraordinary talents. Hope that Nani will follow (if we manage to sign him)

Rob86, manchester (30/05/2007 at 16:33)

i've seen him once for portugal.he looked pretty good plus i would get him just to prevent spurs from getting him.they are well annoying and have no right to be signing players we are interested in.

Chris Spraggett (30/05/2007 at 16:38)

He's a top player. Great news.

Joast, Faroe Islands (30/05/2007 at 16:42)

I think this is great news. A young fast player with loads of skills. He is great cover for ronaldo and giggs, for his first season or two, and progress like ronaldo did.

Things are looking really great for next season. Maybe we need one striker, but then what about rossi, saha and smith. If we do buy a striker we will have WR, LS, GR, AS and OGS plus the one we buy. Then someone surely must be offloaded. Well, I dont think OGS will get many games, being injured in the knee again.

Maybe offload richardson, Heinze/Silvestre(only one)and(hate to say this)Solskjær.
If Nani is coming we a super squad for next year.

meathman007, meath (30/05/2007 at 16:45)

dont get me wrong, im delighted that we are looking into signing a new winger. But im not convinced, go to youtube and type nani - if this is the best highlight reals that can be put together then im worried!

Maybe he is good though, hopefully some of our portugeese contributors can tell us more about him......

Red Max (30/05/2007 at 16:46)

Loaned back????????

Mason (30/05/2007 at 16:46)

The fee is rumored to be around 18 million euros... about the same as Ronaldo's price. I think that's a great deal because Nani has already broken into the Portugal XI, and is a far more developed product than Ronaldo was back then.

Nazry, kl (30/05/2007 at 16:58)

Should signed him. Fergie always emphised to add speed in United's measure of play. He & Ron would be a mouthwatering pair at the wings next season...Giggs I think will be transfering to the strikers dept. Anyone disgrees ???

Mick, Dublin (30/05/2007 at 16:58)

Interesting, veeerrry interesting. There are pictures on the web of Queroz, Gill and Jorge Mendes (the agent of Nani and Ronaldo) leaving a hotel in Lisbon this afternoon.

So, it looks like things might actually be moving forward with this kid. Either that, or we're selling Cristiano back to Lisbon!

mani (30/05/2007 at 16:59)

Lets just wait and see. It's like this story has just resurfaced because there is nothing else happening in terms of transfers or news. The notion of loaning him back is crazy unless they are buying him for a couple of million. From what I have seen of him, which isn't much, he looks very raw. Even more so than Ronaldo when he arrived at United

Loyal to the End, Nottingham, ex-Malaysia (30/05/2007 at 17:10)

Nah, prefer Quaresma instead, more of a finished article.. Besides, have you seen the kid Nani? He's a bag of bones, don't think he'll relish facing the well-built defenders in the Prem.. Probably in a year or two, but definitely not this summer..

Hangey, Luxury Hill !! (30/05/2007 at 17:11)

News just in from a close United Source:

Hargrives will not be unvilled before United compelete the signing of Nani and Berbatov! Nani`s deal will be done by Friday as he is not involved in EURO qualifiers with Portugal! Berba will then be signed next week after the international Duty with Bulgaria; then after that All 3 Players will be Unveilled together at what will become one of Deeee Great Meadia Briefing we have ever seen!!!

george (30/05/2007 at 17:22)

Here we go again! I don't see how loaning him back would help the present situation.

DrPhil, Donegal (30/05/2007 at 17:22)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the fact that his contract is up next year doesn't make much difference for 2 reasons.
1 - He is only 20. Isn't 24 the age to qualify for a bosman free, under 24 and the club still have to be compensated?
2 - Spurs want him. If we go cheap now, someone else wil buy him. It's not like with Hargreaves where we were the only club in the picture and the only club he was interested in.

I have seen a bit about him on youtube, looks like a cracking player. Plus he can play both sides, same as Ronaldo, and they're both early 20s.

DrPhil, Donegal (30/05/2007 at 17:30)

PS, he has scored 8 goals in 38 for Sporting, and 1 in 4 for Portugal including being Man of the Match against Denmark. Decent goal stats for a winger, and he has a cracking goal celebration. What more can you ask for!?!
Wouldn't agree with sending back on loan though, we need him now. giggs is showing his age and Richardson is a donkey.

Chris Earnshaw, Taunton, England (30/05/2007 at 17:32)

I know next to nothing about this fella, Nani. However what I want at United is QUALITY. If he has that + star potential, then I, for one will be happy to see him at my club.
Same applies to the "Brazilian Twins" & any other lads Sir Alex brings in.

Barry Lee, USA (30/05/2007 at 17:55)

Whatever we do, I just hope we do it quickly and get the new players in and into the pre-season. We seem like we are all talk and no action again and will end up with just OH and other teams will steal these players from under our noses. Lets make SAF Director of Football and get Coppell as manager. Let SAF do the transfer deals and leave Gill out of it.

red john (30/05/2007 at 18:06)

is highly rated in portugal and they arent to bad at producing exciting young wingers!Its high time united were proactive in the trnsfer market had they continued the trend of the pre 99 season and bring in at least 3 players every season the success would have continued. They must try to get berbatov and nani; add to them the young players to come back and what a squad; i saw someone mention a right back well simpson has had a great season with sunderland along with evans; and when fit neville is still the best right back in the league. If rossi comes back to then we could look to off load saha richardson and silvestre to create some space in the squad; move ole into a coaching role and we are back to 4 quality strikers and cover long the midfield and back four. With serious competition in the gk division things would look very healthy. Oh if it were only that easy!!

Frank Old Trafford (30/05/2007 at 18:11)

Saw a report on the internet that somebody had seen Nani in a Manchester nightclub with Ron, I bet those Lisbon girls can't sink their pints like a Manchester lass! I hope he was impressed!

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