Here’s a round-up of news and gossip relating to Manchester United over the past 24 hours.
Manchester United take on AmaZulu in the first game of their pre-season tour of South Africa. The game will see new signing Shinji Kagawa make his first appearance in a United shirt, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed in a press conference in Durban. Although missing a few starters who took part in the latter stages of the European Championships, Sir Alex Ferdinand still boasts a squad that includes Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia and Javier Hernandez.
The Daily Mail today reported that Everton’s Leighton Baines is once again on Manchester United’s radar. On Tuesday, the United manager admitted he had concerns about cover for left-back Patrice Evra and the report suggests Baines as one of the manager’s prime targets Activity in recent transfer windows indicate however that the club will not be willing to sanction a supposed £20 million offer for a 27-year-old backup. In today’s game against AmaZulu, youngster Robbie Brady is in line for a start at left-back.
The Daily Mail has also reported that the club have given up hope of trying to sign Brazilian Lucas Moura from Sao Paolo. Sir Alex Ferguson believed a £30 million offer for the highly touted 19-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, Tottenham and Inter Milan, would suffice considering the financial struggles of current club Sao Paolo. The player currently has a clause in his contract that entitles him to 20% of any transfer fee with the figure to rise to 30% in August. Sao Paolo president Juvenal Juvencio has stated that club will hold on to the player irrespective of money offered by other clubs.
Luis Suarez has spoken out over the racism row with Patrice Evra in an interview on Uruguayan television hinting at a plot by the Manchester club to get him banned. Suarez talks of the ‘political clout’ of United and the misunderstanding in the infamous non-handshake incident maintaining he believed Evra had refused to shake his hand. The Mirror has released a translated transcript of the interview.
Eurosport sources say Dimitar Berbatov has been told he is free to leave Manchester United and has been valued at £5 million by the club having been bought by the club for £30 million only four years ago. His agent has been quick to link his client with a move to AC Milan, aware of the space that has been left in the Italian team by Ibrahimovich’s move to PSG. Daily Mail had linked newly promoted West Ham with the player but that has been tempered by Sam Allardyce’s denials over the move.
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