Transfer Rumours: Exits

Report by B Hibbs, A Bostock

Departures have preceded arrivals in the current close season.

Real Madrid's long-standing links with Cristiano Ronaldo moved up a notch on Thursday 11 June when the Reds announced a world-record £80m offer from the Spanish club. Nine days later, United declared that Carlos Tevez would not be joining the club on a permanent basis after two years on loan.

The attacking pair aren't the only players touted for the exit door in the tabloid press, however. Barcelona and AC Milan are rumoured to be interested in Nemanja Vidic. Also linked with moves away from M16 are young trio Fraizer Campbell, Darron Gibson and Danny Simpson.

Manchester United has a policy of not commenting on transfer speculation.

Nemanja Vidic

Nani

Fraizer Campbell

Darron Gibson

Danny Simpson

Cristiano Ronaldo

Gary Neville

Carlos Tevez

DEPARTURES
Player Name --> Current Club --> Position --> Fee
Nemanja Vidic --> Barcelona --> Defender --> £25million --> Read the rumour
Nani --> Sporting Lisbon --> Winger --> Swap --> Read the rumour
Fraizer Campbell --> Hull City --> Striker --> £5m --> Discuss here
Darron Gibson --> Wolves --> Midfielder --> Not stated --> Discuss here
Danny Simpson --> Birmingham --> Defender --> £1m --> Discuss here
Cristiano Ronaldo --> Real Madrid --> Winger --> £75m --> Discuss here
Gary Neville --> Middlesbrough --> Defender --> Not stated --> Discuss here
Carlos Tevez --> Man City --> Striker --> £30m --> Discuss here

Transfer Rumours: Arrivals

The flames of speculation have been stoked this summer by the exits of Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo - and the £80million offered by Real Madrid for the latter.

Brazilians Luis Fabiano, Nilmar and Douglas Costa are among the names on the grapevine, while Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery, Lyon's Karim Benzema, Barcelona front man Samuel Eto’o and Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero have also been touted for transfers to Old Trafford.

Intriguingly, the Daily Mail has tipped the Reds to make a bid for Real keeper Iker Casillas, with Edwin van der Sar in the twilight of his career.

Manchester United has a policy of not commenting on transfer speculation.

Andre-Pierre Gignac

Luis Fabiano Grecia

Nilmar

Iker Casillas

Ashley Young

Douglas Costa

Fernando Torres

Sergio Aguero

Samuel Eto'o

David Silva

Arjen Robben

Joao Moutinho

Antonio Valencia

Franck Ribery

Karim Benzema

ARRIVALS
Player Name --> Current Club --> Position --> Fee
Andre-Pierre Gignac --> Toulouse --> Striker --> £11million --> Read the rumour
Luis Fabiano --> Seville --> Striker --> £25million --> Discuss here
Nilmar --> Internacional --> Striker --> £20million --> Read the rumour
Iker Casillas --> Real Madrid --> Goalkeeper --> Not stated --> Discuss here
Ashley Young --> Aston Villa --> Winger --> Not stated --> Read the rumour
Douglas Costa --> Gremio --> Winger --> Not stated --> Read the rumour
Sergio Aguero --> Atletico Madrid --> Striker --> Not stated --> Discuss here
David Silva --> Valencia CF --> Winger --> Not stated --> Discuss here
Franck Ribery --> Bayern Munich --> Winger --> £87m --> Discuss here
Karim Benzema --> Olympique Lyonnais --> Striker --> Not stated --> Discuss here

Valencia thanks Latics

Report by Steve Bartram

Luis Antonio Valencia today begins a new life as a Manchester United player, but, before looking ahead to the future, the winger was keen to pay a heartfelt tribute to former club Wigan Athletic.

The Ecuadorian signed for the Reds on Tuesday, bringing down the curtain on a three-year stay at the JJB Stadium, and he admits he is forever indebted to the Latics for giving him his break in English football.

"It is quite simple, I owe Wigan everything," Antonio told the Wigan Evening Post. "Without them, there would be no Manchester United for me. The club has been fantastic for me, and I am genuinely sad to be leaving some fantastic memories and friends behind.

"Of course, I am excited to be joining one of the biggest clubs in the world, but I have to say I owe it all to Wigan. To Paul Jewell, Chris Hutchings and Steve Bruce, I say a massive thank you – and to the chairman Dave Whelan.

"I also want to say a big thank you to (Wigan manager) Roberto Martinez. I think I would have really enjoyed playing for him, but he has not opposed this move and I am grateful for that."

Antonio has adjusted to the frenetic pace of Premier League football during his stay with the Latics, and he hopes to see more foreign talents following in his footsteps.

"Wigan has been a fantastic stepping stone for me, and I would urge any other players like me to come and sign for this club, because they give players like me a chance," he said.

"They are the club who took a chance on me when I was only a young player, and who stuck by me in the early days when I was getting used to the pace and power of the Premier League.

"In return I have always given everything to Wigan so there is a big part of me that is sad to be leaving. I will always have a place in my heart for the club. Good luck to Wigan, they deserve it, and I hope they will do really well this season under Roberto Martinez."

Blog : Time to Move On

Report by Steve Morgan

Steve Morgan draws a respectful line in the sand as Cristiano Ronaldo officially and finally becomes a former Manchester United player...

So, farewell then, CR7.

The long goodbye that began in earnest in summer 2008, with Real Madrid’s entreaties, and the drip-drip of public pronouncements from sloganeers, has finally played itself out. The fabled shirt is vacant once more.

For those who mourn the passing of one of the modern game’s finest talents, a word of advice: don’t dab your eyes as he dots the ‘I’s on his new contract. Memories are wonderful and precious things, but that, ultimately, is all they are. They will not win trophies, nor push us forward; and the quest for fresh challenges has always kept Sir Alex one step ahead of the chasing pack.

Manchester United, as the boss has always said, are bigger than one man. A constant summer of constant speculation would have benefited no-one.

We’ve been down this road before, of course. We were told we should never have sold the goals of Ruud van Nistelrooy; that we would never replace David Beckham’s dead-ball expertise, or transplant the lungs and heart of Roy Keane anew. We did and we have. There will be new names to conjure with, new songs to learn and sing.

Of course, we will miss Ronaldo’s quest for invention; yes we will smile fondly as we recall the astonishing, buck-toothed, spaghetti-haired kid who bewildered Bolton’s defence for 29-minutes six summers back. That initial cameo was a performance so dripping with wit and wonder, those fortunate enough to have seen George Best in the flesh were moved to make comparison. Six summers: half a career.

Will he burn brightly enough to score 42 goals in a season in Spain? Who knows? Will he miss the arm of Sir Alex, the paternal, protective touch in those long, dark moments of the soul? Probably. Will we miss him? Yes, of course – those capable of pinging in 40-yarders to order are in short order. But we can and will move on. The adventure continues.

Goodbye Cristiano and good luck. You will live in interesting times; the times you leave behind may yet prove to have been the most interesting.

The views expressed in this blog are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Manchester United FC.

Club completes Ronaldo sale

Manchester United has completed the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. The unconditional £80million transfer fee has been paid.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Cristiano has been a marvellous player for Manchester United. His six years at Old Trafford have seen him develop into the best footballer in the world.

"His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over.

“Everyone here wishes him well in his future career.”

Report by Press Department

Rooney raring to go

Report by Steve Bartram

Wayne Rooney is readying himself for a pivotal season in his career, as he admits that he is desperate to realise his full potential.

The England striker is expected to shoulder more of the Reds' goalscoring burden following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure and, with the 2010 World Cup looming large, he is hell-bent on making it a season to remember.

“For me personally, next season could be the season that transforms me from someone who could be a great player into someone who is a great player,” Rooney told The Times.

“That’s what I’m hoping. It’s a massive season for the club and for me personally, with the prize at the end of it being the World Cup. It’s a season which I want to grab with both hands."

Since bursting onto the scene as a gifted but volatile 16-year-old with Everton, Rooney's improvement as a player has been obvious. Now a highly-decorated 23-year-old, Rooney still simmers close to the boil in order to retain his on-field edge, and he has pledged to continue to give everything for the United cause this term.

"The older you get, the more you try to set a good example rather than a bad example," he said. "On the pitch I’m a competitor and when you’re playing in the biggest league in the world, especially when I was starting at such a young age, there are a lot of emotions.

“I’ve worked on that. Sometimes I get a booking or do something and it’s all over the papers or on the news or whatever. I see other players doing ten times worse and nothing is mentioned. But I understand it.

“That’s the way I’ve been brought up. I’ve been brought up to try to do the best I can in everything I do. I don’t think I’ve ever come off the pitch and thought that I hadn’t done the best I could have done. Sometimes it goes to plan and sometimes it doesn’t, but I’ve never come off the pitch thinking I didn’t give my best and I don’t think I ever will.”

Papers: Benzema in demand

Lyons deny they have sold Benzema
Lyons have denied they are on the brink of selling Karim Benzema to Real Madrid but say they have received a large offer for the forward, who is a Manchester United target. Reports in the Spanish media today claimed that a move to the Bernabeu for the 21-year-old forward was virtually a done deal and that Lyons had accepted an increased offer of €35 million (around £30m). However, the French club's director of communications said that they have not concluded a deal with anyone. “We certainly did receive an offer of a sum appreciably superior to the sum that has been mentioned, but nothing says that it comes from Real,” Olivier Blanc told L’Equipe. “There is no agreement with anyone.”
Staff reporter, The Times

The Daily Star agrees that United's next signing will be coming from Ligue 1, but insists it will be 23-year-old Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, rather than Benzema. The £11m-rated forward was the top scorer in the French top flight last term, bagging 24 goals.

Lee Martin will be one of the first players to make way for new arrivals, according to The Daily Mirror, who claim the winger will be on his way to Roy Keane's Ipswich Town in a £2million deal.

One United stalwart who won't be leaving Old Trafford is defender Nemanja Vidic. The Serbian has once again voiced his desire to stay with the Reds, despite interest from AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Round up by Steve Bartram