Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[boonster]

was actually was hoping that man utd would sign torres but he ended up at liverpool instead. but well from tevez performance last season, he shud be a gd buy, provided he fits in n settles down

[et911]

Originally Posted by boonster

was actually was hoping that man utd would sign torres but he ended up at liverpool instead. but well from tevez performance last season, he shud be a gd buy, provided he fits in n settles down

Torres would not be a good buy. I feel he is overrated.

[chickenzip]

Ten things about Nani

1. His full name is Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha.

2. His first club as a boy was Real De Massama before joining the youth set up at Sporting Lisbon.

3. He broke into the first team at Sporting Lisbon when he was just eighteen-years-old.

4. In the 2006/2007 season, he made 29 appearances for the first team scoring five goals along the way.

5. He helped Sporting Lisbon win the 06/07 Portuguese Cup.

6. Nani appeared for Portugal's Under 21s in the summer of 2006, appearing in all three games that Portugal played in the tournament.

7. He first strode into the spotlight with a wonder goal in the Champions League against Spartak Moscow.

8. In September 2006, he won man of the match and scored on his international debut for Portugal against Denmark.

9. As a child, Nani played football with former Portsmouth and Everton midfielder Manuel Fernandes.

[chickenzip]

10 things about Anderson

1. His full name is Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira.

2. He signed for Brazilian Club Gremio in 1993. When he was just five years old.

3. Made his first team debut for Gremio when he was 18 years old.

4. He appeared at the FIFA U17 World Cup and won the Adidas Golden Ball for the most valuable player of the tournament. Previous winners include Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal.

5. During his time at Gremio, he helped them to win promotion to Brazil’s top division, scoring the crucial goal in a game against Nautico.

6. Anderson made only five first team appearances for Gremio before joining FC Porto.

7. This season for FC Porto, he appeared in 15 games, nine of them from the start and grabbed two goals. But he would have played more frequently were it not for a broken leg suffered in October.

8. In eighteen months at FC Porto, he won two Portuguese titles including a domestic double in 2005/2006.

9. Brazil’s World Cup winning coach Mario Zagallo said of Anderson “everything suggests that he is going to be a superstar, a prodigy as he has undisputable quality.”

10. Despite having never appeared for Brazil at full international level, he has been called up by Brazil coach Dunga for the Copa America in Venezuela next month.

[qbdp]

Originally Posted by DatukSeks

This is only a rumour ? Found this:

Tevez cool over £20m United link

Carlos Tevez has played down reports suggesting he is close to joining Manchester United in a reported £20million move.

Yes, probably it's a rumour and this rumour appeared in not just one but almost all tabloids/papers.

A smokescreen from the club?

Actually I dont mind Benni McCarthy at Old Trafford. Though 29yrs old but a proven striker in Europe and, like Berbatov, he had done quite well in his first season in EPL.

[qbdp]

Ferguson's team of all the talents offers multiple options.

Arrival of Tevez at United will bring tactical emphasis on attacking fluidity.

Sir Alex Ferguson may have won one European Cup playing 4-4-2 but the Manchester United manager seems to have come to the conclusion that the same system is not going to return the trophy to Old Trafford. Ferguson has been experimenting with three different formations over the past couple of seasons and the pending arrival of Carlos Tevez indicates a clear shift in the manager's thinking.

Rather than target an orthodox centre-forward in the mould of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ferguson has identified a player to suit a 4-2-3-1 formation that, when United are attacking, could metamorphose into 4-2-4. Tevez would join a pool of attackers capable of troubling the classiest defences, the emphasis being on speed, fluency and movement, with players interchanging roles. "That is the key," Ferguson said at the end of last season. "Speed of play is so important these days."

This was the system when Roma were destroyed 7-1 in the Champions League quarter-finals in April, a rout that Ferguson described as the club's finest performance in his 20 years at Old Trafford. And there is rich potential for repeats, after a summer in which Tevez's acquisition would confirm United as the most prolific spenders in Europe, with a line-up that could have, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tevez and Nani flitting around Wayne Rooney.

The hard part for Ferguson is accommodating everyone as he works out how to select an attacking quartet from a list that also incorporates the £19m Brazilian Anderson, the enduringly brilliant Ryan Giggs and a striker in Louis Saha who, when fit, the manager regards as the equal of any other No9 in English football.

Never before has Ferguson had the luxury of so many permutations. Astonishingly, Tevez could be the 46th player squashed into United's 2007-08 team photograph. Liverpool's first-team squad stands at 40 while Chelsea, for all Roman Abramovich's bags of gold, have 37, the same as Arsenal.

Uppermost in Ferguson's mind is that he now has so many options it will be almost impossible for opposition managers to guess his tactics. When Saha is fit, for example, Ferguson can revert to a more orthodox system, with a straightforward midfield quartet and Rooney or Tevez playing behind the Frenchman. In Europe, Ferguson has developed a fondness for a more cagey 4-1-4-1 system, and it is here that Owen Hargreaves, the £18m signing from Bayern Munich, will be expected to excel. And then there is the increasingly favoured 4-2-3-1 line-up, taking its inspiration from the slick systems that have been in place in Spain for many years.

Paul Scholes has increasingly been used in a more deep-lying role over the past six months. He is likely to continue in that "hole", with the arrival of Hargreaves meaning Michael Carrick can no longer be regarded as a mandatory first-team pick. Nani and Anderson are expected to begin their first season as "impact players", unlikely to start many of the big matches and, in an era of Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo, others may find that even a place on the bench is beyond them.

The goodwill for Alan Smith after his comeback from a broken leg has made way for the realisation that, with 12 goals in 92 appearances, he should seek new employers. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in his final year before retirement, must foresee only limited chances and Giggs, 34 in November, might have to take a more peripheral role, with competition from Nani and Park Ji-Sung, and Rooney and Tevez expected to start regularly on the left. John O'Shea should benefit from reverting to the role of versatile defender.

As for Ferguson's team when United face Chelsea in the FA Community Shield on August 5, that is anyone's guess. Jose Mourinho might have to guess too.

Who's moving who? The Tevez transfer trail

The transfer of Carlos Tevez was brokered by the Iran-born businessman Kia Joorabchian, the founder of Media Sports Investments, and the deal to bring Tevez to England is essentially believed to be a one-year loan with a three-year option if West Ham were willing to pay £40m. In November, Eggert Magnusson became chairman and aired reservations about the deals for Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

Fresh questions were raised when the Premier League saw West Ham's agreements with the companies that owned the "economic rights" to the players. The league brought charges against West Ham and they were fined £5.5m. The league then accepted that West Ham had cancelled the agreement, enabling Tevez to play the season's remaining games. Joorabchian's camp, though, believe the agreement was unilaterally terminated by West Ham. Theoretically they could take legal action although that would appear unlikely if Tevez's move to Manchester United goes ahead without objection from Magnusson.

[qbdp]

Tevez will cost United £38m

CARLOS TEVEZ will cost Manchester United an amazing £38million in wages and fees over the next five years.

The Argie striker is poised to sign for boss Alex Ferguson after the Copa America.

United are understood to be recruiting the hitman on an ‘extended loan’ from West Ham — with Tevez, 23, earning around £110,000 a week in wages.

But last night Premier League chiefs threatened to block the move unless the Hammers pocket a cut of any transfer fee paid to Tevez’s agent, Kia Joorabchian.

A League spokesman said: “Any deal would have to be struck with West Ham.”

Manchester United, however, reckon their lawyers have studied all the rules and regulations and are confident the deal will go through soon.

Reports in South America claim Tevez has already undergone a ‘pre-medical’ to speed-up his arrival at Old Trafford.

The hitman cannot wait to play for the Red Devils. Speaking from Venezuela, he said: “For me United will be a sensational destination.

“To be a member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad will be absolutely spectacular.

"I remember with emotion playing at Old Trafford last season. It was a great feeling to score for West Ham and keep the club up.

“To play for United would obviously be huge. My dream is to be an idol in English football and I can achieve this now.”

Tevez’s salary at United will work out at more than £28m. United will also have to pay Joorabchian and the consortium that effectively own the player a further £2m per season.

On top of that, the champions must pay for insurance on the player to guarantee the consortium would not lose out should Tevez suffer a serious injury.

His move to Old Trafford will bring to an end one of the most controversial sagas in English football history.

Tevez’s ‘free’ move to West Ham from Corinthians last season cost the Eastenders £5.5m in fines after an inquiry ruled there had been a breach of rules over third-party ownership.

Sheffield United insist the Hammers should have been docked points and are taking their fight to stay in the top flight to the High Court next Friday.

[qbdp]

Ferguson posts warning for rivals as United untangle deals to land Tevez

Carlos Tévez is expected to complete his transfer to Manchester United in the next 24 hours. The Argentina forward will join the Barclays Premier League champions on an initial two-year loan, at the end of which United will have the chance to buy the player permanently for a fee that could be more than £20 million.

The deal is complicated because West Ham United do not own Tévez outright, but it is thought that the London club have agreed to hand over the player’s registration rights to United so that the transfer can be sanctioned by the Premier League.

In turn, United will pay two annual fees of about £3 million to Kia Joorabchian, the businessman whose Media Sports Investments (MSI) firm owns the economic rights to Tévez.

It was unclear last night whether West Ham would receive any payment from United, although privately the club are thought to be glad to see the back of a player, who, through no fault of his own, has caused them considerable embarrassment.

A spokesman for the Premier League said: “As far as the Premier League is concerned, any potential deal for Carlos Tévez must be struck directly with West Ham United.”

The agreement is believed to be similar to that which Liverpool arranged with West Ham and Joorabchian for Javier Mascherano, Tévez’s Argentina team-mate, who joined the Merseyside club on an 18-month loan in January for an initial fee of £1.5 million, with the option of a permanent deal.

Tévez, 23, who is contracted until 2010 with West Ham, stands to earn about £90,000 a week at Old Trafford and will be paraded by the club once he returns from Copa America, which ends on Sunday week.

David Gill, the United chief executive, is understood to have been in talks for several weeks with Joorabchian and West Ham about signing Tévez, although the champions were keen to wait until after a decision by an arbitration panel into the Tévez affair this week. West Ham were fined £5.5 million in April for breaching third party agreements regarding the signing of Tévez and Mascherano last summer, but the panel upheld the ruling of an independent commission not to dock West Ham points.

Tévez’s arrival at United would leave Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager, with an embarrassment of riches up front and represents another significant blow to the club’s title rivals, who had already been reeling from the champions’ purchase this summer of Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani for a projected £55 million.

Written off by many two years ago, Ferguson is now overseeing a remarkable transformation at United, while news of the Tévez transfer could not have been better timed in the eyes of the club’s supporters. Not only could it eclipse Liverpool’s £20.2 million record purchase of Fernando Torres this week and make Arsenal’s loss of Thierry Henry seem all the more damaging, but it has gone some way towards overshadowing Sven-Göran Eriksson’s expected unveiling today as Manchester City manager.

Tévez’s arrival is likely to hasten the departure of Alan Smith, who is attracting interest from Middlesbrough, who have already bid £6 million, as well as Everton, Newcastle United, Sunderland, Aston Villa, City and West Ham. The futures of Giuseppe Rossi and Louis Saha are also uncertain, although both are likely to stay.

[qbdp]

United buy now but pay later to stay on budget

How have Manchester United, laden with £660m of debt, suddenly managed to find £71m in one summer to outspend their rivals? It's the question that some fans are asking. And the simple answer is: they haven't.

The headline figures of United's transfer window are £17m, £17m, £17m and £20m. Those are amounts United have agreed to pay for Anderson, Nani, Owen Hargreaves, and, perhaps, Carlos Tevez.

This is not the whole story. The Glazers' expenditure may be below the £25m they originally promised Sir Alex Ferguson.

How? Tevez, 23, will arrive on a two-year loan deal, and although that might cost a yearly fee of £4m to £8m, buying him outright can be deferred to a future year's accounts, if they exercise their option.

Brazil's Anderson, 19, and Portugal's Nani, 20, are being bought effectively on HP. United are understood to have paid £7m and £8m up front, and will pay the rest over the terms of the deals.

And while Hargreaves, 26, has cost a chunk up front, he became a United player only on 1 July, and the outlay falls into next year's accounts.

So instead of £70m, United have spent only £20m already.

Three of the players have a decade of playing ahead, and Hargreaves should have his peak years in Manchester. United are investing in the future, which is when the payments will be spread.

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by qbdp

United buy now but pay later to stay on budget..So instead of £70m, United have spent only £20m already. Three of the players have a decade of playing ahead, and Hargreaves should have his peak years in Manchester. United are investing in the future, which is when the payments will be spread.

Interesting info on MU's financial budgetting... there's of course, resale value on parting ways.. either scrap or residual value.


Latest on Tevez tangle..

League to scrutinise Tevez deal

Tevez has his heart set on a move to Manchester United. Carlos Tevez is keen on a "dream" move to Manchester United - although any deal will come under heavy Premier League scrutiny before going through.

The League insists the transfer must be "done directly" with West Ham rather than his agent Kia Joorabchian.

Tevez, 23, was involved in a saga that led to West Ham being fined £5m for breaching transfer rules, although they crucially escaped a points deduction.

But he said: "For me, Manchester United will be a sensational destination. My dream is to be an idol in English football and I can achieve this now"

Tevez is still under contract to West Ham for three years, but the League want to ensure Joorabchian is not paid any of the fee after previous questions over the Argentine forward's "ownership."

West Ham insisted they cut all ties with Joorabchian after they were fined in April.

One possible avenue would be for West Ham to be paid a transfer fee and then agree a compensation figure with Joorabchian for breaching contracts with his company, Media Sports Investments (MSI), when the Hammers terminated third-party agreements following their fine.

It is understood though the League would want a substantial chunk of the transfer fee to remain at West Ham rather than it all be handed over to MSI in compensation, otherwise they could be accused of merely covering up the third-party agreements that have caused so much controversy.

West Ham have been speaking to Manchester United about a transfer, and the former Boca Juniors and Corinthians player is excited at the prospect.

He said: "I am a player who thrives on challenges. I went to England to triumph in the Premiership and with West Ham I have achieved that first stage.

"Now I'm ready to move on to the next stage. To be a member of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad will be absolutely spectacular.

"My dream is to be an idol in English football and I can achieve this now."

[qbdp]

The Carlitos Tevez Mania Continues...Day 3

I WON'T BE ANOTHER VERON

TEVEZ EXCLUSIVE UNITED'S NEW SIGNING CARLOS WILL COPE WITH THE PRESSURE BETTER THAN SEBA

CARLOS TEVEZ will arrive at Old Trafford with a warning from Manchester United's most expensive mistake.

Argentina World Cup star Tevez, 23, is set to complete a £21million deal with Manchester United and sign a contract worth £100,000 a week.

It is a bold gamble on Sir Alex Ferguson's part, bearing in mind he risked £28.1m on Juan Sebastian Veron six years ago and the Argentinian proved a big-money flop.

Tevez revealed he sought advice from his fellow countryman before deciding to join United.

Veron, 32, and now playing for Estudiantes back in Argentina, warned Tevez about the pressure and expectation of playing for English football's most famous club.

And yet that has done nothing to dissuade him that he is making the right move by joining United and turning his back on Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Tevez, who has spent most of his career being hailed as the new Diego Maradona, said: "I have spoken with Veron about Manchester United and about how difficult it is for the team and for the players to triumph because of all the pressure put on them.

"There is almost an obligation to win every game when you are at Manchester United. Nothing else is acceptable.

"That is very difficult for most players to live with but believe me when I say that those sort of challenges are attractive to me. I enjoy that pressure. It makes me fight harder.

"I have demonstrated many things in South America already in clubs like Boca Juniors and Corinthians where the expectation is so great from the fans. I have been successful and done well under that sort of pressure and now I want to repeat the experience in England.

"I think I have already shown some of that with West Ham. I loved that experience and it was always going to be a special club to make me leave there. But a club like Manchester United is one of football's superclubs."

Pressure and controversy are things that Tevez has grown used to since his arrival at West Ham last August.

He has lived his life in the eye of the storm for the past few months after being the central figure in the bitter Premier League legal battle following his controversial move to West Ham.

But amid the legal wrangles, it would be easy to forget his outstanding footballing ability.

Tevez is small, strong and has a terrific work rate which has drawn the comparisons to Argentina's greatest player, Maradona.

He is in regular contact with Maradona, is flattered by the comparisons and his humble beginnings in Buenos Aries keep his feet on the ground.

Tevez has been living with those comparisons since he was spotted as an eight-year-old playing in the back streets by legendary Boca Juniors coach Ramon Madonni.

Madonni describes Tevez as the "biggest explosion in Argentine football since Maradona".

The striker's brilliance during West Ham's great escape at the end of last season - his winner against United at Old Trafford clinched their safety - earned a long list of potential buyers who wanted to sign him this summer despite the complexities of any potential transfer.

United will pay businessman Kia Joorabchian £6m for Tevez and at the end of an initial two-year deal, they will have the option to buy him outright for £15m.

After the bitter legal battles between West Ham and Sheffield United, it might have put off some clubs.

But United boss Ferguson, despite his extravagant signings this summer, clearly believes he is worth the hassle. Tevez said: "Now I am calm about my future.

I have demonstrated my level at West Ham and some big offers arrived to my agents.

"My agents received many offers of the big clubs in Spain, Italy and England.

"That shows perhaps that my performances at West Ham were good even though some people doubted me through the season.

"But I told my agents that I would only leave West Ham for a super club in Europe.

"It is logical that this club, Manchester United, is in my list of preferences.

"I still do not know of one player who has rejected an offer to join this great club."

JUAN'S AGONY

Veron was a world class star when he signed for Manchester United in July 2001 for £28.1million, from Lazio, smashing the British transfer record.

But the Argentine midfielder flopped, scoring only seven goals in 45 league appearances and four goals in Europe in a two-year stay at Old Trafford.

Eventually he was sold to Chelsea for £15million, where he again failed to make an impression and after just five appearances in a year was sent out on loan to Inter Milan.

[qbdp]

TEVEZ: FERGIE IS MY IDOL

CARLOS TEVEZ last night revealed his burning ambition to join Manchester United and become Sir Alex Ferguson's star "pupil".

In his first full interview about the £21million move to Old Trafford, Tevez has hailed United as a "superclub" and says their offer and the chance to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo was impossible to turn down.

Tevez had offers from Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Liverpool but has chosen United because he says he is a huge admirer of Ferguson and his attacking style of play. Tevez said: "I only know Alex Ferguson from what I see from the outside but I believe he is a great manager and that I will be a good pupil for him.

"Manchester United is a team with a very offensive, attacking style of play. This is the system I always desire. Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world. I have spoken with him during the season and I admire him for being a star on the pitch and on the street."

Tevez will complete his signing at the end of the Copa America when he will have a medical in Manchester before being given a holiday.

United believe that they have set up a deal which will not contravene the third-party ownership rules that saw West Ham fined £5.5m by the Premier League over Tevez and Javier Mascherano. But West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson said: "There is no agreement for Tevez to leave and we expect him to return in time for next season's preparations. No decision on his future can be reached without the agreement of West Ham."

[qbdp]

Tevez 'agrees' United deal

Carlos Tevez's representatives claim the West Ham striker has agreed personal terms with Manchester United.

The Hammers attempted to play down talk of the Argentina international moving to Old Trafford on Friday evening by stating that they expect him to be part of their preparations for the new season.

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson also insisted that the Upton Park club would have to agree to let Tevez leave this summer.

But in response, Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian says the former Corinthians ace has already been given permission to talk to other clubs and discussions have taken place with United.

Joorabchian claims the 23-year-old has now agreed a deal which should see him join the Premier League champions in the coming days.

"The circumstances surrounding Carlos Tevez's relationship with West Ham have been well documented in the media and footballing world," said a statement from Joorabchian's lawyers.

"We confirm that Carlos Tevez has, with the knowledge and permission of West Ham United Football Club, been in discussions with other clubs.

"Subsequently, personal terms have now been agreed with Manchester United Football Club.

"Carlos Tevez's representatives will work during the course of next week so that a move to Manchester United can be finalised as quickly as possible.

"The process for finalising the player's registration with Manchester United will be undertaken in accordance with appropriate procedures."

Manchester United have confirmed they have held talks with Tevez, and say they were given permission to do so.

"We have acted in good faith," said a United spokesman. "Carlos Tevez was given permission to speak to us and do a deal."

[qbdp]

Fergie's football heaven

RYAN Giggs and Paul Scholes will be resting easy on their sunbeds, despite the cold shadow of the future passing across their holiday beaches.

The signings of Owen Hargreaves, Nani, and Anderson, and the impending announcement of Carlos Tevez as the next big Red capture, will make United's training ground dressing room a congested place once the Copa America is over.

But when the fluttering dollar bills settle and the squad numbers are sorted and dispensed, the side which lines up to begin the Premier League season against fired-up Reading on August 11 will probably look pretty familiar.

Giggs and Scholes are going nowhere just yet, and are more likely to see the arrival of their eventual replacements as little more than a challenge.

That is the ethos of United.

Tevez would almost certainly have been in the line-up but for Argentina's progress in the South American championships.

With the final of the tournament scheduled for July 15, the day after United fly out on their Far East tour, the Argentinian is almost certain to miss the early stages of the Reds' pre-season preparations.

That also goes for Anderson, whose Brazil side are also in the quarter-finals, which take place this weekend, so he will also miss some of United's pre-season and therefore the start of the season.

Nani, as a 20-year-old, will need time to adjust to life in Manchester, as well as the pace and aggression of the Premier League, so a place on the bench is the best for which he can hope.

He would do well to watch videos of United's opening home game of the 2003-04 season, when his Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo watched from the bench against Bolton and then produced half an hour of crowd-pleasing magic to inspire a 4-0 victory.

Future

As well as edging everybody forward in their seats, that 30 minutes of mayhem also convinced Ferguson that this was not a kid for the future, but one for the here and now.

Anderson, for all the ability he has been showing in the Copa America, is still a kid and, if he is seen as the linchpin of future United, is maybe still a little inexperienced to be handed that role in the hurly-burly of the Premiership.

He will get plenty of games in the coming season, but in the crunch fixtures may have to be content to look and learn from Scholes.

Possibly the most intriguing battle which the signings have thrown up is that between Michael Carrick and Hargreaves, a friendly war which will be waged at club and international level.

Of course, there is nothing to prevent them being accommodated alongside each other, but given the talent queuing up to fill the central midfield attacking areas - Scholes, Anderson, Tevez, and Wayne Rooney all like to play in that part of the pitch - they are seen as midfield anchors.

All of this does not even begin to accommodate Ji-sung Park, Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea, who are all knocked backwards by the new arrivals.

United will now seek to off-set their incredible £70million-plus spending spree by selling, with names like Kieran Richardson, Alan Smith, Louis Saha and either Gabriel Heinze or Mikael Silvestre top of the list.

And there remains the possibility that an even bigger name could yet be set to leave - although whispers that Real Madrid have not abandoned their pursuit of Ronaldo may not affect the Footballer of the Year, who will relish the chance to link up with his countryman Nani and fellow Portuguese-speaker Anderson.

If the Reds hold on to all of their star names, it is a fantasy line-up which could, once the new boys have bedded in, establish a new United dynasty into the next decade - especially as Chelsea's wild spending habits appear to have been curbed.

Quarts into pint pots is always a tough test of a manager's measure, but now United are talking about quarts of champagne, you can bet that Fergie's cup runneth over.

[Glen2712]

Originally Posted by qbdp

United buy now but pay later to stay on budget

How have Manchester United, laden with £660m of debt, suddenly managed to find £71m in one summer to outspend their rivals? It's the question that some fans are asking. And the simple answer is: they haven't......

Brazil's Anderson, 19, and Portugal's Nani, 20, are being bought effectively on HP. United are understood to have paid £7m and £8m up front, and will pay the rest over the terms of the deals.

Bro qbdp, awesome up-to-date reports on Man Utd Transfer Affairs! Just one thought though, wat's HP?