Let’s be honest, Nemanja Vidic wants out of Old Trafford. The only question is whether Sir Alex Ferguson will countenance a sale with no obvious replacement available. More to the point the Serbian defender, 28, has not been offered a new deal at the club despite only two years remaining on the defender’s contract.
It’s a saga that has rumbled on for more than a year, with Vidic and his outspoken agent, Paolo Fabbri, keen to secure a contract that will put the Serbian’s wages on a par with Rio Ferdinand at £120,000 per week. Grotesque perhaps but the undoubtedly the going rate for a player of Vidic’s class, experience and status in the world game.
United, burdened by an ever growing wage bill and huge debts, seem unlikely to meet the player’s demands this summer, risking a knock-down fee in 2011 or, worse still, a free transfer out of Old Trafford in two years time.
Discount the contradictory quotes by the former Spartak Moscow defender, who is smart enough not to alienate his employers and the club’s fans before a move out of Manchester is secured, and focus on the cold hard cash. In the inflated market, Vidic is worth more than his £70,000 per week and he knows it.
No surprise then that Europe’s leading clubs including both Milan teams, Barcelona and latterly Real Madrid have expressed an interest in the defender, whom Fabbri has successfully hawked around the continent in recent months. Indeed, shortly prior to the World Cup the agent refused to rule out a move in the kind of non-denial-denial that is so common of the football transfer market today.
“We are waiting for Nemanja to tell us what we he wants to do,” Fabbri said.
“We are waiting as it is up to him. It won’t be until after the World Cup he makes a decision on his future. We have requested some time from Manchester United to think about things and Nemanja does not want to look at things until after the World Cup. Any eventual transfer will take place only after the World Cup.”
Hardly a declaration of his client’s love for the United shirt.
But will, should, could Ferguson permit the defender the transfer he desires? After all the manager’s justification for taking Real Madrid’s £80 million last summer was that “the boy wanted to move on,” just as Vidic does today.
There are subtle differences of course. While Ronaldo’s desire to play for Real Madrid had very little to do with money, Vidic’s dissatisfaction is primarily economic. The outcome is the same though, with Ferguson effectively asking Ronaldo to stay at the club an extra year in 2008 before granting the player a move.
United could pull the same trick with Vidic during the current window of course but the effect, with the player turning 29 this season and the clock running down on his contract, will be felt by the Old Trafford bean counters. After all, the £20 million plus fee United might expect to receive will reduce by up to half next summer. In the club’s current financial situation that is relevant.
Then there is the prickly question of United’s squad that suffered so much with injuries in defensive positions last season. Rio Ferdinand’s fitness can no longer be relied on; back injuries just don’t heal. Meanwhile, Jonny Evans has less than 60 starts in a red shirt, and new signing Chris Smalling none at all.
It is, or course, a scenario that points to Vidic remaining at the club no matter how much his agent works against United’s interests.
The worry for the club’s supporters though is that with cash haemorrhaging out of the bank account in interest payments and the Glazer family so obviously restricting the manager’s transfer activity, Ferguson may not get the final say.
I would hate to see Vidic leave, he has been the rock in a sometimes shaky defense. Particularly last season when he was available. But at the same time his departure would open up opportunity for the fringe talent to finally stand up to the mark and secure a place in the first team. Players that otherwise would spend most of the season on the bench (unless we have another injury crisis).
Another note: I do believe he should have parity on pay with Rio.
For 25+, and if we find some kind of replacement, maybe i would be okay with him leaving. Wouldn’t want to depend on Evans, Rio, Brown, Smalling and O’Shea for the whole season!
If he does, we are sunk. Ferdinand is done, thanks to his injuries. We have no other class central defenders. This season is fast shaping up to be one of broken wagon wheels before it has even begun. Do not be surprised if United fails to roll anywhere near success this year.
Anyone who believes the Glazers have not put resrictions on
Fergusons spending on new players, is living in the land of
cuckoos, the Glazers bought United for one reason and one
reason only, to use the club to get themselves out of debt.
which they are doing to the detriment of the greatest club
on Earth.
Where are our Money????
The Glazer family take United to an enormous debt, and we are struggling…
United over paid for the recent signings of Berbatov (30.75M), Anderson (18M), Obertan (3M),Valencia (17M), Tosic (7M), etc.
Players like Mesut Ozil is available at 12M, Joe Cole signed for Liverpool for FREE, Arsenal sign S. Nasri for only around 7M, why United waste a lot of money in the transfer market???
Players like Scholes, Giggs, Van Der Sar, Neville, etc. are getting too old to help the team. We are in a NEED to sign top class players….
If SAF don’t sign any top class player, I think we will win nothing next season. And as a United fan, for me, finish 4th is the best to aim for which means nothing. Therefore, I wish them to finish 10th and the Glazer left the club. When the new owner come, with SAF and enough money, we will be the best again.
What! a player wants to leave the promised land cause hes not being paid enough,i thought every player in the world was desperate to play there because of the history blah blah.Better go to city then so we can call him a mercenary.
If Vidic wants to leave then fuck him. No use crying over spilt milk. Ferdinand, Evans, Brown, O’Shea – plenty of quality and experience in that quartet.
One thing though, these “contradictory” statements coming from the Vidic camp might have something to do with the fact that he actually has TWO agents, not just one. As well as Paolo Fabbri, who you mentioned, there is another by the name of Silvano Martina.
Every article suggesting Vidic wants a huge contract, or a move to Spain, quotes Fabbri. Meanwhile Martina has been quoted many times as saying that Vidic is staying at United – as has Vidic himself.
I’ve done a bit of digging and it seems the pair also represent Gigi Buffon, who has also been the subject of much will-he-or-won’t-he transfer speculation this summer. Seems to me either Paolo Fabbri is the money-grabbing shit-stirrer of the pair, or this is some sort of game the two of them like to play.
One thing’s for sure, they seem like a pair of wankers whichever way you slice it.
“Ferdinand, Evans, Brown, O’Shea – plenty of quality and experience in that quartet”…. Yes, but no pace absolutely! They’ll get skinned all the time! Vida’s presence alone is a psychological boost for the defense…
I think this is a no-win stuation for us. If we refuse to sell, we are left with an unhappy player and potentially disruptive influence in the dressing room. If we sell, we have major problens at centre half. Ferdinands injuries remain a worry while a combo of Evans, Brown, O’Shea etc doesnt have the same fear factor for opposing teams as Vidic/ Rio does.
The greatest club on earth!! Your having a laugh, United is not even the greatest club in England. The greatest club in England is Liverpool and there are several clubs in Europe greater than United.
When the wheels finally fall of Uniteds waggon and its going to happen soon it will be interesting to see how many fans hang around old trafford watching dross, then we will find out how great a club United are
I’m not sure if you’re putting that up as attempted WUM…. but hahahahaha. FFS delusional scousers. Made my day.
Wow! Russ your head is so far up Rafa’s butt, that you have forgotten he left. “Dross” is an apt description of how Liverpool played all of last season.
On another note,the Glazers plan of using Uniteds own cash relies heavily on pitch performance.”The clubs changed policies in the transfer market” seems to be a mix of relying on youth and greater use of freebies may come back to haunt the Glazers especially if the club finishes out of top 4 ,doesnt get to last 16 in the CL or fails to make last 8 of the FA cup. The strange thing is this policy is very similar to that of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers…
jeez – this is where all the tabloid victims hang out then? Didn’t anyone tell you the papers don’t print fact, just fairy stories for the gullible. The article claims this has been “rumbling on” for a year. So, that implies that United and Vidic should be getting their heads together on a new contract when the ink is barely dry on his existing one? ffs. THREE years to go and you panic cos the tabs say he’s going. Yep, now down to two years, which is normal and he can sign his contract before it gets down to the remaining 12 months. If not, sell him. It’ll be good business. By that time Smalling will be ready and Evans is already top notch. Plenty of back up even assuming the worst with Rio, which is by no means a given. Stop wetting yourselves.
to be honest he should earn more than 70000,for me he is a better and fitter defender that rio any day..
Definitely should be offered a pay rise. 100k would be about right but if Rio is on 120k see no reason why he should not get parity.
Sell Vidic. SAF reckons we have world class youth so i’m not overly concerned.
who?
that’s my point.
but i live in hope that i’m wrong. Although throwing someone in the deep end would be nice.
We have Smalling. Brown and Evans… what do we need Vidic for?
That will be the Glazers reasoning, when they sell him.
Aaaaaaaaand lo and behold, hot on the tail of Fabbri’s latest comments about Vidic possibly leaving, come new comments from Martina/Martino (not sure which it is) suggesting Vidic has no intention of leaving.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6275213,00.html
But what do I know, eh?
Manchester United will offer central defender Nemanja Vidic a contract extension and pay rise to stop him joining Real Madrid this summer.
Full story: The Guardian
Hate to say I told you so…
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=6650873
vidic signs a new 4 year deal!!!
i bet quite a few of yous are feeling like right cocks now!!!
Oh great, someone’s signed for us!
Oh wait….
…FFS.
Why ? if he didn’t want to stay there is no point in keeping him and the fact that he has signed for 4 years points to all the rumours and the like more than likely coming from his agent, lets hope that he has a season better than the last one and becomes the rock on which our defence will be built.
because there were comments lke ‘fuck him’ and ‘hes a cunt’ being thrown about a while back when no one knew anything excep what the sun newspaper were telling us.
strange how when the sun or the like says we are linked with a player its bollocks and when its news of maybe a player leaving its obviously true and hes a complete bastard
I don’t feel like a cock at all. He’s got what he wanted – a big fat new contract. Well done to him – successfully blackmailed the Glazer family. This is a major U-turn by the Glazers who had changed the PLC policy of beginning negotiations2 years before contract end, to 1 year before contract end.
so if its not vidic wre selling to fund new signings who is it
My guess is that United probably didn’t have any other irons in the fire by way of alternative options in the transfer market – so why not give Vidic a new contract? Somebody gives the manager reason to believe that his mind lies elsewhere…yet we still end up giving the player a new contract. Seems fishy to me.
Its the way of the beast tel, how often have we in the past bitched about someone only to be proved wrong still doesn’t mean that those who name call or moan are cocks.
To be fair Tel, most of us wrote IF he wants to go, then fuck him.
He has signed for us, now that is good enough for me.
I wonder if his wife is happy with the news?
great news ,top player, we needed him to stay.
New signings?
It must be a massive deal
He’s talked about leaving since last Christmas, and I don’t believe it’s all because he wanted a new contract
Gill said it’s a verbal agreement, so I won’t get too excited until he signs on the dotted line
Actually Sidders, Vidic has never said anything about leaving. I challenge you to find one quote from the man in which he talks about leaving.
He’s smart enough not to but his agent Fabbri isn’t some rogue, he’s been instructed to find alternatives and put the pressure on. It was very successful.
players never say they’re leaving they’re smarter than that
‘ii am happy here but in the future only god knows’
vidic clearly wanted to go, this iis strange
i dont think he wanted to go. this will be his last big contract and he is smart enough to make it count.hes a top player and deserves the money
Carvalho has said he is desperate to play for Madrid
Wonder if that had any influence on Vidic’s decision
Looks like he’s been stalling for a month before giving an official yes to the club