FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY RUMOURS

3/1/13: Hull City have revealed that Ben Amos is returning to United following his loan at the Championship promotion-chasers. The Tigers Tweeted: "We'd like to thank him for his efforts and wish him all the best for the future." Ben himself took to the social networking site to add: "Just heard United have officially recalled me. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there whilst playing, a great bunch of lads."

3/1/13: Tottenham have completed the signing of Ezekiel Fryers from Standard Liege with the full-back joining their Development Squad. The defender left the Reds when his contract ran out and played in a friendly for Spurs but ended up in Belgium.

3/1/13: ESPN claim United are not only confident of landing Wilfried Zaha in the summer but the club also retain a "mild interest" in buying Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan. The report speculates that any deal for Zaha would lead to Nani departing while adding Sir Alex is willing to sign Sneijder if he drops his wage demands and the fee is less than £10m.

3/1/13: Bebe has finalised his loan switch to Rio Ave with United also confirming John Cofie and Gyliano van Velzen have returned from stints with Sheffield United and Royal Antwerp.

3/1/13: Ryan Shawcross, long linked with a return to Old Trafford, has signed a new long-term contract with Stoke City.

3/1/13: United's Portugal Under-17 keeper Joel Castro Pereira has spoken to maisfutebol about his future. "My goal is clear," he stated. "To be the future number one of Manchester United. I have to be ambitious. When I walk into Old Trafford, it's where I realise I want to be."

3/1/13: Belgium Soccer suggests Tottenham could try and sign Ezekiel Fryers this month. The defender left United to join Standard Liege last summer when his contract expired at Old Trafford.

3/1/13: The Guardian claims Crystal Palace will do business within a week regarding Wilfried Zaha but only if the buying club agree to loan him back to Selhurst Park for the rest of the season and farm out two or three of their own players to the Eagles. The report claims it's a "deal breaker" and names United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham as the interested parties.

3/1/13: Despite the link involving Nick Powell and a loan move to Peterborough appearing in several dailies, Posh's local newspaper - the Peterborough Evening Telegraph - reports that club officials have played down the speculation.

2/1/13: Cristiano Ronaldo was asked about his contract negotiations during a press conference in Madrid. The former United superstar said: "I don't want to talk about that any more. My contract isn't what's most important now. The most important thing is for us to win our upcoming matches and to fight for La Liga and the Champions League."

2/1/13: Bebe was unveiled before the press in Portugal as he is to join Rio Ave on loan. "Rio Ave are playing a beautiful championship, they have a good coach, who believes in young players. I hope to help the team and to be helped," he is quoted as saying on Portugoal.net. "I’m very happy to be at Rio Ave. I hope to relaunch my career, give everything I’ve got and help the team finish high in the table. [Will I return (to United) at the end of the season?] We’ll see when the time comes."

2/1/13: Talksport are reporting rumours that Nick Powell could be poised to sign for Peterborough on loan. There had been whispers of interest from Leicester over the festive period.

2/1/13: Wigan have revealed on their official website that Angelo Henriquez has joined on loan for the rest of the season. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I am really excited after the manager [Roberto Martinez] has given this chance for me to prove myself," said the striker. "Now I need to work to try and earn my place in the team." Henriquez is expected to make his debut in the weekend FA Cup tie against Bournemouth.

2/1/13: Arsenal will drop their interest in Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha, according to Talksport, if Theo Walcott signs a new deal. Walcott's advisers are reportedly meeting the Gunners to discuss fresh terms and the radio station thinks positive developments "will open the door" for United to sign Zaha.

1/1/13: Voetbal Nieuws reports that Gyliano van Velzen is to return to United from his loan spell at Royal Antwerp but Luke Giverin is to remain for the rest of the Belgian campaign.

1/1/13: The Daily Star start the New Year with a bold story claiming Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard are both United targets. The Chelsea duo are out of contract at the end of the season and Lampard, apparently, has already been told he can find new employers. Duncan Wright's story even claims a double bid could be launched in January, although Chelsea (obviously) do not want to sell to their title rivals.

1/1/13: The transfer window is open again and Roberto Martinez has spoken again about Angelo Henriquez's pending loan move to Wigan. The striker has also been quoted in the Daily Mirror, saying: "I already talked to the manager Roberto Martinez and he told me that I would have more chances. His idea is to have me as a substitute for Arouna Kone. It will then
depend on me taking advantage of them."

Manchester United Transfer News: Red Devils Need to Bring Back Cristiano Ronaldo

 

If Manchester United wants to make a real impact in the upcoming transfer season, bringing back Cristiano Ronaldo would be the right move.
As reported by the International Business Times, speculation about Ronaldo has been flying since September, when the Real Madrid star stated he was feeling "sad" for professional reasons.
In a more recent press conference, the winger refused to talk about his contract situation, though he remains noncommittal toward Real Madrid
Ronaldo also talked about his old club Manchester United in that press conference, stating "It's a team that has played a large part in my career. People there know me well and the people I know there have a place in my heart."

From there, Ronaldo returned to talking about Real Madrid and his desire to win there this season.
It seems, from Ronaldo's perspective, returning to the Red Devils is what he wants.
And that makes sense. His career really took off there with a breakout 2006-07 season. He was well loved by the fans, and they would certainly welcome him back with open arms.
This is the kind of opportunity Manchester United needs to jump on.

They've been linked to a number of scorers, but Ronaldo has the most prolific resume of any of them. And now he can bring a veteran leadership to the Red Devils front as well.
The move would give Man United one of the best front attacks in the Premier League.
They're currently on top of the standings with 52 points, but it hasn't exactly been with a balanced attack. Robin van Persie leads the Red Devils with 16 points, more than double that of any of his teammates.

Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in the Spanish La Liga this season. His 0.82 goals per game is better than any other Man United player—van Persie is averaging 0.76 goals a game.
Of course, a deal for a star like Cristiano Ronaldo is never a simple matter, and it really comes down to what Man United has to give up.
Early speculation from Mirror Online has the Red Devils sending winger Nani and keeper David de Gea to Real Madrid, along with a £60 million fee.

Nani wouldn't hurt, as the speedy 26-year-old has yet to make an impact for the Red Devils.
Losing de Gea could be tough, but backup Anders Lindegaard could handle a starting role. The Red Devils would surely give up more goals, but not enough to cancel the scores they'd be gaining.
In terms of salary, Man U has the ability to pay Ronaldo in the realm of £300,000 a week. While other clubs could pay more, none have the history with Ronaldo like Manchester United.

If Cristiano Ronaldo were to return to the Red Devils, now would be the time. There's mutual interest in such a deal, and it would be the right move for all parties involved.

Here's hoping Sir Alex makes it happen.

Robert Lewandowski: Why a January Transfer to Manchester United Makes No Sense

Manchester United Do Not Need Another Striker

As I already mentioned, Manchester United are the most effective team in the league, having scored 54 goals in 21 league matches.
The simple conclusion is that the team does not need another striker.
Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck already represent one of the most intimidating strike forces in Europe, so spending more money on needless reinforcements would be foolish.
Rather than a new striker, the Red Devils should try to sign a new defender.

Sir Alex Will Not Sign Anyone in January

Back in December, Sir Alex declared that he will not be trying to sign any player in the January transfer market.
To quote the Manchester United boss (via Sky Sports):

I will not be bringing anybody in, in January, definitely not.

It appears Lewandowski's rumoured transfer to Old Trafford will have to wait at least until the summer transfer window opens.
But then again, who knows what will happen in the next six months?

The Price

Lewandowski is more or less already an established striker, and one could easily imagine how expensive his transfer to Manchester would be.
The price being quoted by Bild is around £18 million.
And that's simply too much.
Don't get me wrong: Lewandowski is an outstanding player, but spending £18 million on a player that possibly won't play regularly is something Sir Alex probably wouldn't do.
 

Who Would Want to Leave Dortmund

Lewandowski plays consistently for perhaps the best German club at the moment, and any transfer that would see him move away from the club makes little sense.
Dortmund have won two consecutive league titles and despite the fact that Die Schwarzgelben are now 12 points behind league leaders Bayern Munich, completely ruling them out of the title race would be premature.
What is more, the reigning Bundesliga champions are performing admirably in the Champions League.
Having topped the so-called Group of Death, Dortmund have been drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of 16 and stopping them now will be a huge task for any club in the world.
It goes without saying that they are now one of the favourites for the Champions League trophy.
Who would want to leave such a club?

 

Borussia Dortmund Won't Let Go of Their Best Forward

As if that was necessary, Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans Watzke has come out and insisted that his team will not be selling Lewandowski to Manchester in January (via Goal.com).
Before rubbishing the rumours by saying that a winter move will not take place, Watzke also reiterated the club's desire to achieve high goals this season.
Lewandowski might have only 18 months left on his current contract with Die Schwarzgelben, but it seems everyone in Dortmund are sure it's only a matter of time before he commits his future to the club.

Manchester United Transfer Talk: Why Frank Lampard Move Will Not Come to Pass

 

Three Premier League titles, four FA Cup victories, almost 100 caps for the England national team and the highest scoring midfielder in Premier League history to boot.
Looking at Frank Lampard’s résumé, the Chelsea veteran seems a highly desirable candidate to have amongst one’s ranks, making it of little surprise that Ian Ladyman links him with a winter move to Manchester United.
Now in the final six months of his current Blues contract, Lampard has told of how there has been no approach from his club regarding an extension on the deal, despite his continued good form of late (via BBC Sport).
Regardless of his vast wealth, it would seem that Roman Abramovich isn’t looking to keep the 34-year-old Lampard at Stamford Bridge for too much longer and will allow the midfielder to leave the club as a free transfer this summer if he isn’t sold this month.
So, why should Manchester United have any more urgency in handing Lampard a deal? In short, they shouldn’t.
The most poignant of factors working against Lampard is undoubtedly his age. At 34, it’s debatable as to how much longer the stalwart has in his playing days, never mind maintaining his recently high standards.

 

 

That isn’t to say that the Red Devils have ever been afraid to place faith in their overaged players, however. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are current testaments to the ideology that there is indeed life after 30.
That being said, the fact that both Manchester United stars were raised at the club from a very early age is half of their appeal to the club, and purchasing players so close to the end of their careers has never been something Sir Alex Ferguson has bought into.

Looking at recent transfer windows, it’s clear that the Scotsman is conscious of the remaining time he may have left as manager of the United brand. Acquisitions such as Shinji Kagawa, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, David de Gea, Nick Powell and Angelo Henriquez all point toward a youthful dynasty being built at Old Trafford; a parting gift that Ferguson can leave the club as his final contribution for the years to come.

If Lampard were to come to the club, there’s no guarantee that he could be a part of that dynasty and would almost certainly not last more than two, perhaps even three more years playing at the Manchester United standard.
Even now, Giggs and Scholes, 39 and 38, respectively, feature very little for the Premier League giants and have just 12 league starts between them this season.

The reason they still even get that, however, is because they’re ingrained in all things Manchester United, living and breathing the way that Ferguson has taught them.
Lampard doesn’t quite have that advantage, and while his Chelsea figures are encouraging, he would almost certainly take time acclimatising to the ways of another club so great, giving no guarantee he would ever reach the heights required of him.

Speaking of figures, another question one would have to ask when questioning such a transfer is just how much need the Red Devils have of a player like Lampard.

According to WhoScored.com, the Chelsea playmaker has accrued a pass completion rate of 82.3 percent in the Premier League this season. Of the entire Manchester United squad, only three outfield players—Nick Powell (77.3), Robin van Persie (80.7) and Phil Jones (81.2)—have a worse percentage.

From these numbers, we can see that it isn’t Lampard’s synchronicity with his teammates that would make him a good buy, and his ability to take penalties probably isn’t quite a good enough selling point to make bringing him in worthwhile, no matter how much United may need that right now.

 

 

Over the summer, Kagawa was brought in to fulfil the needs of the trequartista, a player who could fill the void behind the attacking line, creating chances for those in front but still posing a threat on goal himself; an asset United sorely needed.
However, with the Japanese maestro now at the club, that position that Lampard used to play so well is spoken for and doesn’t really need further reinforcements.
In these latter days of his Chelsea career, the England journeyman has subsided into a role closer to the Blues’ engine room, allowing those younger teammates around him to do most of the heavy lifting.

That being said, the position specified above is one that both Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick have been manning, and will continue to look after as long as they are allowed to do so.
Not only has Ferguson got Cleverley emerging as a considerable creative talent in the Manchester United engine room, but Powell is also coming through the ranks as a gifted talent moulded in a similar shape.

This would mean that if Lampard were acquired by the club and given the game time necessary to make his signature worth the outlay, it would assuredly hurt the growth of both United prospects, something Sir Alex would almost definitely be against given his policy on youth development.

 

 

It’s that outlay that could hurt the club also, as while Chelsea may no longer want to keep Lampard around, they almost certainly wouldn’t sell him to a club challenging for similar honours without seeing a decent sum come their way in return.
In addition to any transfer fee United would pay were they to sign Lampard this January, his wage demands, currently alleged to be £150,000 a week (via Telegraph), could easily be diverted to more youthful, and useful, players.

As we can see, the idea of signing Lampard not only goes against policies Manchester United have employed for the last 15 years and more, but in a time where clubs must be economically and financially responsible, would ultimately hurt them.

After a Golden Boot-winning campaign, some were still sceptical when Robin van Persie was brought to Old Trafford over the summer at the slightly seasoned age of 29.
So, how would those same critics feel if one of England’s best clubs were to sign a 34-year-old central midfielder unwanted by one of United’s biggest rivals?

Manchester United Transfer News: Tracking All the Latest Rumors and Updates

Nani

We kick off the list with Portuguese international Nani, who was believed to be a transfer target for Arsenal and Real Madrid over the summer transfer window.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson has shut the door on those rumors, telling The Times that the club won't be letting go of Nani—not that Arsenal even wanted him in the first place, according to comments that Gunners boss Arsene Wenger made via Goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Ever since Real Madrid were drawn to play Manchester United in the Champions League round of 16, much has been made about a potential move back to Old Trafford from former player Cristiano Ronaldo.
The latest news on Ronaldo comes from The Daily Mirror, who reports that the winger could be subject from a United bid that includes several players heading to the Spanish giants in exchange for Ronaldo.
The paper reports that the Red Devils would be considering a £60 million bid for Ronaldo, which would also include a salary of around £300,000 per week.
 

Angelo Henriquez

Manchester United striker Angelo Henriquez will be leaving the club on a season-long loan to Wigan Athletic, according to the latest reports from ESPN Soccernet.
The media outlet posted the news on Twitter, with the Chilean striker likely to return to Old Trafford at the end of the 2012-13 English Premier League season.
 

David De Gea

According to The Daily Mirror, United goalkeeper David De Gea is being touted as a potential transfer back to Spain in order to play for Real Madrid once Iker Casillas departs from the game.
The 22-year-old is unlikely to move, however, having stated just last week via Sky Sports that he feels "very much at home in the Premier League and, of course, with my team-mates here at the club, I'm enjoying life here and I feel I've settled well."
De Gea was thought to be a Madrid transfer target over the summer transfer window.
 

Frank Lampard

From the unlikely to the unexpected, Manchester United are believed to be considering a shock move for Chelsea captain Frank Lampard—if you can believe the latest from The Daily Star.
The 34-year-old is off contract at the end of the season, and having already turned down an offer to play in the MLS, he is believed to be a transfer target for a number of top clubs.
But don't expect anything to happen in any transfer window in this lifetime, for the Blues legend is simply never going to end up playing in a Manchester United jersey. He is simply too much of a West London man, and even when he departs the club, will most likely end up well outside the Premier League and especially well away from Chelsea's main rivals.

Ashley Cole

The Daily Star also reports that United are interested in a move for Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, and whilst it's not as ridiculous as the Frank Lampard rumor, it is still fairly groundless and seemingly not going to happen in the upcoming transfer window.
Cole, 32, has been discussed as a possible United transfer previously, but with Patrice Evra doing a more than fine job at the back and the talented Alexander Buttner waiting in the wings, there simply isn't a need for the England international.
Cole is more likely heading for Paris Saint-Germain anyway.

Wilfried Zaha

One transfer rumor that hasn't been completely ridiculous this week is about Manchester United and Crystal Palace sensation Wilfried Zaha, who commented earlier in the week and said that he wants to move to the English Premier League this January per The Daily Mail (h/t Goal).
The England international would be joining the most dominant attack in the English competition should he make a move to Old Trafford—which would present both good and bad things for Zaha, least of which in that his playing time would no doubt be reduced.
But the opportunity to learn from the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie may well entice the talisman into choosing United over the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, who are both reportedly keen as well.