David Moyes’ recent appointment as Manchester United manager has brought with it a fresh flurry of transfer speculation regarding summer activity at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at the club is finished and there’s a good chance Wayne Rooney could share a similar fate this summer. The England striker revealed his desire to leave a few weeks before Sir Alex announced his retirement. Moyes will have little time to settle in his new job with Rooney’s future firmly in the balance.
There has been plenty of speculation as to where Rooney could move if he does leave, with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea all said to be interested.
Much of striker’s unrest at Old Trafford likely stems from his undefined role with Robin van Persie on the pitch. Ferguson initially rejected his transfer request, but negotiations will now be left to Moyes as he looks to make an impact at his new club. Will Rooney stay? Perhaps, but will the fans forgive him again? After all, this isn’t the first time he has threatened to leave United.
There’s no doubt Moyes will enjoy the summer budget available to him at Old Trafford and speculation within the past week has linked the Scot with a number of potential transfer targets.
The obvious Baines and Fellaini rumours have been circulating, as expected. Various sources, including the Sun, the Metro and the Daily Mirror have suggested Moyes will attempt to coax Everton’s star men into a move to Old Trafford. In my opinion, the Baines transfer is the more likely of the two.
Leighton Baines would solve United’s problem at left-back, with the ageing Patrice Evra becoming inconsistent in defence, meanwhile Fellaini would provide a huge boost in midfield. The Belgian is a powerful force in the centre of the park, he would provide the strength and grit that United have dearly missed since the departure of Roy Keane.
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Defender (Left) – 28 years old – England
Premier League
Apps: 37 | Goals: 5 | Assists: 5
Transfer Rating: 4/5
Marouane Fellaini (Everton)
Midfielder (Center) – 25 years old – Belgium
Premier League
Apps: 30
Goals: 11 | Assists: 5
Transfer Rating: 4/5
Phil Jagielka and Ross Barkley are the two other names being linked with a move to Manchester United from Moyes’ current club, Everton. Barkley could prove a good acquisition for the future as he offers plenty of potential, however I don’t feel United need another young midfielder with the likes of Tom Cleverley and Nick Powell already in the team. Jagielka on the other hand has been extremely impressive at the back for the Toffees this campaign, he would form a strong centre back partnership with Nemanja Vidic next season. However at 30 years old, Moyes will probably be looking for younger players.
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Midfielder (Center) – 19 years old – England
Premier League
Apps: 2 (5)
Goals: – | Assists: –
Transfer Rating: 2/5
Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Defender (Center) – 30 years old – England
Premier League
Apps: 35
Goals: 2 | Assists: 1
Transfer Rating: 3/5
Speculation linking Robert Lewandowski with a move to Old Trafford is still ongoing, despite rumours that the Polish striker is heading to Bayern Munich in the summer. I would love to see him at Manchester United and I feel he’d be a perfect replacement for Wayne Rooney and a great strike partner for Robin Van Persie. In fact, I’d even advocate selling Rooney in order to sign him.
Lewandowski’s four-goal display against Real Madrid in April 2013 firmly cemented his status on the world stage, with the Borussia Dortmund striker a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s footballing revolution. At just 24 years old, Lewandowski would be a world class signing.
Furthermore, fellow Dortmund star, Illky Gundogan has also been linked with a move to Old Trafford. The German midfielder is best known for his passing game and technical qualities. He too has been a key part of his club side’s success over the past few seasons, I’d love to see him in a United shirt.
Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund)
Forward – 24 years old – Poland
Bundesliga
Apps: 28(2) | Goals: 23 | Assists: 5
Champions League
Apps: 11(1) | Goals: 10 | Assists: 2
Transfer Rating: 5/5
Illky Gundogan (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielder – 22 years old – Germany
Bundesliga
Apps: 25(2)| Goals: 3 | Assists: 3
Champions League
Apps: 10(1)| Goals: -| Assists: –
Transfer Rating: 5/5
Meanwhile, United have been linked with a number of big name players from La Liga. These include Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and yesterday, ex-Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Will any of these players sign for the club? Probably not. However I know many fans would love to see the beloved Ronaldo back in Red.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Attacking Midfielder (Left/Right)/Forward – 28 years old – Portugal
La Liga
Apps: 30(4) | Goals: 34 | Assists: 10
Champions League
Apps: 12 | Goals: 12 | Assists: 1
Transfer Rating: 5/5
The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson hasn’t put off Cristiano Ronaldo about returning to Manchester United this summer. The London Evening Standard says United are determined to make a huge signal of intent, following Ferguson’s decision to retire and are attempting to buy back Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
Benzema meanwhile, is also a target according to the Sun. The tabloid believes the Frenchman will act as a replacement for Wayne Rooney should he depart. United attempted to sign him back in 2009, but missed out as he opted for a £35 million move to Madrid.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Forward – 25 years old – France
La Liga
Apps: 18(11)| Goals: 10 | Assists: 10
Champions League
Apps: 6(4)| Goals: 5 | Assists: 14
Transfer Rating: 4/5
Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona)
Midfielder (Center) – 26 years old – Spain
La Liga
Apps: 27(2)| Goals: 10 | Assists: 11
Champions League
Apps: 6(2)| Goals: 1 | Assists: –
Transfer Rating: 5/5
Cesc Fabregas is probably the biggest surprise in this list of players. The club has reportedly made contact with Barcelona concerning Fabregas and the Blaugrana are rumored to be asking for a transfer fee of £20m for the Spain international. However, to me this seems very unlikely.
Finally, as always the Red Devils have been linked to several ‘young starts.’ Recently Juan Fernando Quintero and Piotr Zielinski have been the names in the tabloids.
Colombia U20 midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero was watched by United during the South America U20 Championships in January when he impressed by leading his country to the title and finished second top scorer with five goals. Whilst, City and United are reportedly both battling for Zielinski’s signature. The Polish Under-21 international made his debut for Udinese in November, since then he has attracted a number of fans in Italy.