Manucho close to Reds break

stuart mathieson

August 28, 2008

MANUCHO is edging closer to making his long-awaited debut for United.

The 25-year-old Angolan joined from Petro Atletico on a three-year deal last January but the Reds could not secure a work permit straight away.

He was in the action at the African Nations Cup in January where he was a big hit before being sent out on loan to Greek side Panathanaikos until the end of the season.

United were finally granted a work permit in the summer and Manucho was pencilled in to join the European and Premier League champions on their pre-season tour of South Africa.

But he's still waiting to make his debut after breaking his metatarsal in his right foot.

"He is still recovering from a metatarsal injury and has done bits of training," explained Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It is quite promising in terms of recovery from the injury. But he is still well short of a competitive match."

Meanwhile, Spurs last night agreed a £12m deal for Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko which could finally clear the way for Dimitar Berbatov to join United.

Spartak Moscow star Pavlyuchenko, 26, said: "I can confirm that I am joining Spurs. Right now I am getting my visa. As soon as it is ready I will fly to London to sign a contract."

Tottenham insist there has been no improved offer for Berbatov since United's £25m bid was rejected last month.

The Bulgarian striker trained with the Spurs squad yesterday.

Submit Comments | Comments (43) |

Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

TAKIN, strasbourg france (28/08/2008 at 15:05)

give manoucho campbell welbeck a chance...who knows what's going on with saha??Im sure he will be ok

bobbydazzler (28/08/2008 at 15:06)

welcome to OLD TRAFFORD manucho. truth is I didnt expect to see you so soon after being reliably informed that you WOULD'NT get your work permit. just hope you are not that great big lump of a forward we are sadly missing ( not my descriptin of you) because you just wont suit our team (again not my words). hopefully with you on the sidelines competing for a bench space it MAY gives us that physical presence we are so sadly missing. then we wont have to the revert to throwing vidic opie or rio up front if plan a is not working.

edinburgh red, edinburgh (28/08/2008 at 15:39)

If spurs wont accept our generous bid let's move targets,if we do get him great. Spurs will probably never sell to us again after this summer anyway. Standard leige looked like they had good players over the two legs against liverpool, and i've always thought milner looked decent and we'd get him for about 8mil.

Baldrick (28/08/2008 at 16:08)

SAF has just announced that he is "less confident" of signing anyone this summer, so Manucho had better be the extra striker that we need cos "sicknote Saha" isn't going to fill the gap left by us not signing Berba.

hughesie80, London (28/08/2008 at 16:29)

My mate is a taxi driver in Manchester and he's texted me to say Henry has been spotted their today. Not sure what truth is in it or maybe he's just in town to visit the Trafford Centre!

Solskjaer20Legend, Epsomville (28/08/2008 at 16:36)

Manucho looks a good player on what i've seen of him, lets hope he settles in well and become our version of Adebayor of Arsenal.

He has the skill and strength and gives us height and physical presance up top, something which the glass man used to supply us with.

Atop winger would be good also as the Legend that's Giggsy is really on the slide as we know time stands still for no man!!

WesBrown6, Raaholt, Norway (28/08/2008 at 16:41)

If we don't get Berbatov for £25m, we should give Rossi a new chance. He shouldn't cost that much either between £9-12m (can't remember if the pre-set price were published)

Redwolf, Scotland (28/08/2008 at 17:06)

Slightly bizarre title for this article but hope it's not too long before we see this guy as he looked quite promising in the African Nations.

Hopefully he'll do a lot better than Dong who we've just released according to the Guardian.

Happy Valley Barry, San Francisco, California (28/08/2008 at 17:07)

Welcome Manucho! He's a big
stong lad and if he can play
back to goal and feed Teves
and Rooney he'll be a hit.
Up the Reds,

mufc who else (28/08/2008 at 17:17)

give manucho a chance as well as welbeck and cambell,why are all our players injured???????

danny, WILMSLOW (28/08/2008 at 17:22)

He likes to be called MANU for short this boy can play you better believe it.Very strong and quick and he will soon be banging them in for the mighty reds!

Solskjaer20Legend, Epsomville (28/08/2008 at 17:52)

Just heard Viva John Terry has been named European Defender of the year...How??

Rio has been consistantly the best centre back for the last 2 seasons at least with Vida a better version of Terry.

I'll give them the Lampard one but that's about it.

What Jizz!!

mufc who else (28/08/2008 at 18:11)

yep dong has been released by mutual consent ,thank god.

Patrick McLOUGHLIN, North Carolina, USA (28/08/2008 at 18:14)

here is my take on the berbatov saga..surely sir alex ferguson knows the value of this great twenty seven year old world class player whom l think has six great years left in the premier league (or elsewhere)..then surely sir alex should bite the bullet and pay the twenty eight million (or even) the thirty million as asked for by spurs for berbatov..sir alex is a proud scot and will not bend to the demands of spurs to pay extra for berbatov...but surely if berbatov is such a good player (and he surely is) and would make all the difference to the united goal scoring attack (and he surely would) then sir alex SHOULD swallow his pride..forget his personal animosity with levy and ramos and (hell) go out and sign berbatov within the next three days..spurs (levy/ramos) are in no mood to play games with united and will just keep berbatov to spite manchester united and ferguson..and we(manchester united) will be the losers for this coming hugely competitive season in the premier league..looking at the top four teams in our premier league..all our competitors have strengthed their teams..in fact l do not think chelsea (looking awesome in all positions) will lose no more than perhaps two games all season..and here we are (manchester united) two points behind all our top three competitors and only two games played..and liverpool and chelsea next on our schedule within three weeks..and no ronaldo at this time...this is not a question of whom is right or wrong in this spurs/united transfer stalemate..but more a question is berbatov that great a player for manchester united at this time (remember cantona)..and l say yes..we NEED berbatov NOW..pay that extra transfer fee and get berbatov into our lineup for the liverpool and chelsea games..otherwise united will be the loser..the extra monies paid in this transfer saga will come back to united a thousand times with the success berbatov will bring to our team and season..he is readymade for manchester united..please excuse my extra indulgance here in my blog..but l am deeply worried that sir alex will make a huge mistake in this saga..appreciate you allowing me this space..enough said

danny, WILMSLOW (28/08/2008 at 18:31)

See Dong has gone ? 35 goals in 60+ games does not seem a bad return!

mark (28/08/2008 at 18:50)

"mufc who else" because like you they're gay of course...........

BLUEBOY! MANCHESTER NOT LONDON!, MANCHESTER (28/08/2008 at 19:20)

mufc who else
28/08/2008 at 18:26

Who - Who - whos he -

Are you afraid of when we play you of the park again at the Swamp and SWP runs rings around shrek and the slave- I'LL be there - WILL YOU -

Joker!

No - forgot - you live in Landan geeza ....

reddevil4ever, Chennai (28/08/2008 at 19:33)

Ronaldo has just been chose European footballer of the year and best forward.
This is what he said
"Thanks to all my team-mates and those that voted for me."

UP THE REDS !

TAKIN, strasbourg france (28/08/2008 at 19:49)

guiseppe rossi wil play against us...it smells bad....his young lad is thirsty of hatred against us...hope vida can stop him coz i'll hate it if he score against us in the both legs...

Red Afro, Derby (28/08/2008 at 20:50)

These (Manucho news) are news that will push Tottenham to let go of Berbatov, as they will notice that we could certainly do without the big Bulgarian. It also clears the way for Saha to move on. You might say as well that young Campbell should now go out on loan (to Hull). So then this means our out and out strike force for the new season is; Berbatov, Roony, Tevez and Manucho. What do others think?

bobbydazzler (28/08/2008 at 21:23)

is this is the same dong who we were being told "he only needs a run in the team to establish himself". anybody out there guess who was telling us that dong should be considered one of our options for an attacking position. he has come out with some belters his championing of the chineese lad is nearly on a par with his desperate speech from the barca game last year.

OK Balders (28/08/2008 at 21:49)

who cares about viva JT, Cech or Lumphard's awards...... d'ya think our lads would swap...??

Dong - Worst signing ever by Utd & worst player i've ever seen live (in any team) !!

Lower Broughton Soul, Exiled in Gateshead (28/08/2008 at 22:10)

Dong -there was only ever ONE rwason he was brought to OT and that was to boost United's popularity in China!

Worked didn't it...???

Close the door on yer way out.

Lew, Ontario., Canada (28/08/2008 at 22:27)

We don't know a whole lot about Manucho and Wellbeck and Frazier are untested. If we don't buy Berbie, who we all want, then one of these three better come good or we are off and running with two strikers neither of which fits the "prolific" category.
Three days left. What the hell is going on.

tooth&claw, manchester (29/08/2008 at 10:09)

It's a shame about Dong but when he went back to China when he got his injury he decided he wasn't coming back. He'd asked to leave befor when he was in Belgium because he was so home sick and had no-one to talk to. It didn't improve much for him when he made it to Manchester. The players involved him but that's only 5 hours a day and then he was on his own in a hotel. Quite apart from the football, he didn't have it in him to adapt to a very different life away from home. I hope that he rediscovers his lov of football back in China because he was a nice lad.

()

Manchester United