Moyes ponders on United's prize guys

David Moyes officially takes over as United manager on July 1. Ever since his appointment in May, the Scot will have been contemplating who’s in and who’s out. Here Stuart Mathieson assesses the squad that the new Reds boss will inherit

DAVID DE GEA Moyes will inherit a young man rising to the top of his game. The Spaniard is not the same keeper who Marouane Fellaini roughed up last August. Has grown in stature and, as a title winner now and Spanish Under 21 Euro trophy holder, he will be bouncing into the new season.
ANDERS LINDEGAARD Moyes is likely to discover a frustrated Dane is on his hands. His early Old Trafford dreams of being the number one have been blown away by De Gea’s impressive improvement. He will be a decent understudy if he’s content with that. But I doubt he will be.
RAFAEL Last season was the Brazilian full-back’s best as a United first teamer. There are still some rough edges to be smoothed off defensively but he has Leighton Baines’ full back qualities going forward and you know how vital that can be.
FABIO Moyes will be able to tell the difference between the Brazilian twins because Fabio is the one not wearing a title medal around his neck. Suffered relegation on loan at QPR last season and this is a big season for him.
GUILLERMO VARELA We are all pretty much in the dark on this one – including Moyes as the transfer was agreed in principle before he took over. If the Uruguayan teenager hits the ground running it will be a bonus.
PHIL JONES Potentially United’s greatest ever according to Moyes’ predecessor Sir Alex. A bit of a way to go to that but he’s making great strides. The conundrum for the new Reds chief will be to decide on which one position suits the England star best.
CHRIS SMALLING Has always done a solid decent job either in centre of defence or right back but his progress has been badly hampered by injuries. He needs a trouble-free run to give the new manager some food for thought.
NEMANJA VIDIC United managed the skipper’s game time well after knee surgery and that might still have to be the case. If he is fully fit then the Serb will feature at the centre of defence as much as possible. First few months of the new campaign will tell if all his problems are now behind him.
RIO FERDINAND Another veteran whose game time was planned meticulously to such an extent that last season was arguably his best-ever for Reds. A new contract in his pocket and still a key figure for the champions.
JONNY EVANS At 25 he is at an age now where he needs to push on and ensure he’s first choice at the back. The Northern Ireland star certainly has the qualities to do that and is developing into the player Fergie always envisaged would take over from Ferdinand.
PATRICE EVRA His future could depend on whether Moyes signs his old Everton left back Leighton Baines. If not then there shouldn’t be any concerns because the Frenchman has been nip and tuck as best number three around with Baines.
ALEX BUTTNER Never let United down when he was drafted in to give Evra a rest and scored a couple of goals into the bargain as well. The Dutchman still needs some time to prove himself top quality on a regular basis but has started well in his first season.
ANTONIO VALENCIA Hopefully Moyes will get back the Antonio Valencia who scooped all United’s personal awards back in 2012 when the Ecuadorian winger was a full back’s nightmare and provided a constant stream of assists for Reds forwards. Last season he was mysteriously out of touch. Improved signs very late on.
NANI I’d be surprised if he was still around when Moyes takes centre stage on his first official United team picture. If he is then one can only hope that finally he might throw off his enigmatic label and consistently produce his best tantalising form. If not Moyes will be pulling his hair out like the fans.
ASHLEY YOUNG There have been glimpses of a dangerous goalscoring winger in his first two seasons at United but the fans haven’t seen enough of it to convince them he’ll be in Reds winger’s Hall of Fame. Knee and ankle injuries contributed to that last term. Needs a fully fit season to get his teeth into the job.
DARREN FLETCHER Moyes won’t know yet whether he will inherit the Fletcher who was Scotland’s top dog. Battling back from his ulcerative colitis condition and it looks like he will be ready for pre-season. Can only hope this determined and likeable man succeeds and United get a great asset back.
MICHAEL CARRICK His colleagues voted him the club’s Player of the Year for the 2013 title season and it was richly deserved. Last season was his best campaign for the Reds and he held a questionable midfield unit together.
TOM CLEVERLEY His form and appearances have been in and out. The England midfielder didn’t really make the strides last season we thought he would do and failed to hold down a regular place. But he has the tools to do it. It could be a key season for him.
NICK POWELL Some brief outings in the first team gave United fans something to look forward to. The big question is whether he is ready to make a big impact for United or if he needs a season out on loan to get game time and bring his game on. Over to you David.
RYAN GIGGS Moyes will know all about the veteran maestro – he scored against Everton back in February at Old Trafford. It was a composed finish and that’s just what Moyes will get when he calls upon the near 40-year-old.
ANDERSON Another who it would be a surprise to see in the new kit for the new season. Six years at Old Trafford and the United supporters still haven’t seen the player many tell us they see on the training pitch.
SHINJI KAGAWA Sir Alex Ferguson promised this season would see the best of the player he bought from Borussia Dortmund last summer. Settling in period last term and, in patches, the Japanese was an exciting prospect. Looks like he needs to play behind the front man to produce his best.
DANNY WELBECK He’ll probably be praying Moyes will want him as an out and out striker. Made an admirable fist of playing wide for most of last season but it was at the expense of his goal account. Only two from an England striker is not good enough but he has the talent to improve.
WAYNE ROONEY Moyes will need no reminders about Rooney having handed him his debut as 16-year-old. He’s better than that now but there is a theory he’s not as good as we all thought he would become when the Scot gave him his breakthrough. Where to play him is the big question these days or maybe the new Reds boss will pass that problem on to Arsenal or PSG.
JAVIER HERNANDEZ A tally of 18 goals last season was an extremely impressive return considering that he never started more than three games on the trot all campaign. The Mexican is a great go-to sub when you need a goal but hasn’t fully convinced he’s the man for the job week in, week out.
ROBIN VAN PERSIE The Dutch maestro was simply top dollar last season with 30 goals. The champions weren’t quite a one man band but you have to wonder where they’d have been without him. If the Golden Boot winner produces the same next season then the new Reds chief will have got a great head start.

Thiago Alcantara is close to joining Manchester United [El Mundo Deportivo]

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So there may well have been something in David De Gea’s message on Thiago Alcantara’s Euro 2013 final hat-trick ball.
Catalan paper El Mundo Deportivo splash this Thursday morning with the claim that Thiago Alcantara is close to joining Manchester United.
Thiago’s choice seems to be between staying at Barcelona (challenging Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas for a midfield spot), heading to Old Trafford or joining up with former coach Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
Crucially, and this news has not been mentioned anywhere else, El Mundo Deportivo say that Thiago Alcantara and his father Mazinho (a former Brazil international and 1994 World Cup winner) have already held talks with Manchester United.
Thiago’s friendship with David De Gea is also cited as a reason the Spain Under-21 star is heading to the Premier League champions, as well as Rio Ferdinand’s praiseworthy Tweet during the recent Under-21 European Championships final.
At a fee of just 18 million euros, due to a clause in his Barcelona contract, Manchester United appear to be closing in on one of the signings of the decade.

Parlour urges Wenger to spend £100m on Rooney, Higuain & Fellaini

The Gunners legend believes his former side can be a threat next year with the right additions as the club look to close in on London rivals Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs

EXCLUSIVEBy Tom Marshall-Bailey
Ray Parlour has encouraged Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to splash the cash this summer in order to ensure his former club challenge for major honours next season.

Goal revealed earlier this month how the Gunners are finally ready to flex their financial muscle by activating the release clause in Marouane Fellaini's Everton contract.

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12/1	Arsenal are 12/1 with William Hill to win the Premier League

Arsenal are also exploring the possibility of moves for Gonzalo Higuain and Wayne Rooney as Wenger looks to bridge the gap between the north London outfit and the Manchester powerhouses.

Parlour feels such stellar names would get pulses racing around the Emirates, but stressed it may take significant spending to address the flaws in the squad.

Parlour, who was speaking at the launch of the 2013-2014 Barclays Premier League fixtures, told Goal: "They need to go out and spend money now, reports are saying there's £70m available at the moment. If I was Arsene Wenger, I'd say go out and spend £100m and get the right players to have a real go of it next season.

"The whole point in moving stadium was to try to compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona but now they are trying to compete with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, who will probably get stronger next season.

"That's the most important thing for the fans, but now the club are in such a good state of mind with the stadium - they paid off a lot of money on that - and financially, they are in a very good situation.

"The players that work for him on a regular basis would be very excited to have the likes of Rooney in the side, Higuain, who is a very good player at Real Madrid, and Fellaini, who has had a great few seasons at Everton.

"That's the big question now, whether they can attract this sort of players to the club."

Parlour does not believe the Gunners' squad is in need of major surgery but concedes his former club need to add world-class reinforcements in key positions during the close season.

He added: "When you look at the side they've got, they've got very good players but they have to strengthen down the spine of the team.

"Striker-wise I know Higuain has been mentioned and Rooney would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal.

"They maybe need another midfielder who can win the ball back as well. I think [Mikel] Arteta was fantastic last year but another player who can slot into that role just in front of the back four, which is so important in today's football, would be ideal.

"I definitely think they need another central defender too. [Thomas] Vermaelen was obviously in and out of the team last year and didn't really play a lot of football and we don't know what's going to happen to him this summer.

"And maybe a goalkeeper, when you look at the lack of competition at the moment for [Wojciech] Szczesny. [Lukasz] Fabianski did really well when he came back into the side, but I don't know if that's the answer or not.

"If they can get the right players, they will definitely be a force next season."

Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have all had to replace outgoing managers this summer, and with Wenger now the longest-serving boss in the league, Parlour feels the club can use that stability to their advantage in the upcoming campaign.

"I think it will be the most exciting Barclays Premier League season next year, with new managers coming in and out," he continued.

"You don't know how [Manuel] Pellegrini will settle in but I'm sure he will do a great job at Manchester City, David Moyes has got his chance at Manchester United, and obviously with Jose Mourinho coming back to Chelsea it is going to be interesting.

"So it may be an opportunity for Arsenal to say: 'Okay we've got the stability in the manager at the moment, can we get the right players now?'

"Top quality players want to play in the Champions League and that's why it was so important that we pipped Spurs to fourth place."

De Gea explains ball joke but tells press he wants Thiago at Manchester United

De Gea, not letting go of Thiago for a second.
David de Gea has found himself at the centre of something resembling a 'tapping-up' storm' after twice suggesting to Thiago that he'd like him in Manchester after the  U21 European championships. The first was when questioned on stage three weeks ago and the second was when he signed Thiago's Tuesday night hat-trick ball with a message that roughly said 'See you in Manchester'. The latter causing great fuss both in England and Spain with newspapers in both countries running the story today.
The goalkeeper was inevitably questioned about the situation when the team arrived back at Barajas airport last night and a jubilant De Gea, carrying Iker Muniain on his shoulders for part of the journey through the airport, said it was mainly jokes between him and the Barcelona midfielder, being careful not to land himself in hot water.
Quoted by Mundo Deportivo, De Gea said "We talked and joked and such, but Barcelona knows they have a crack with them and won't let him go."
A 'crack' is a Spanish term for a great player and Barcelona probably wouldn't let him go if they had any say in it but Thiago has a clause in his contract which means he can leave the Spanish side for just €18m plus IVA. With that tax added the amount reaches €21.7m, still a bargain for a player who scored a first half hat-trick in the U21 final against Italy on Tuesday night.
De Gea did, however, explain the obvious "Hopefully next season I'll have a Spanish partner in the team. Me, as a player of Manchester United, I would hope to have a partner like Thiago, who is very good."
That was probably De Gea's more diplomatic way of inviting Thiago to join up with him at the Premier League champions. Such is the goalkeeper's popularity, his positive words about the club will no doubt make other members of the U21 squad keen on a move to Old Trafford. Iker Muniain, the little guy De Gea was carrying around the Madrid airport on his shoulders, has been linked briefly in the past but he's surely more likely to stay at Athletic Club Bilbao for a while yet. 
Manchester United's goalkeeper clearly thinks Old Trafford is the place to be and fancies a little Spanish company, if he has to act as a part-time football agent to get himself a Spanish team mate then De Gea seems absolutely prepared to do what he can.

Transfer Truth: The Truth on Nani to Arsenal

Once promising Portuguese winger Nani has seen his name increasingly linked with Arsenal recently after a reported £6.5m bid fell short of a suggested £8m price tag applied by Manchester United.

Nani: Transfer Truth: 20%
Despite a long search, we could only come up with a handful of reports that went beyond pure speculation and the quotes within don't suggest in anyway that Arsenal are in the hunt or even that it is definite Nani will leave.
My future? Nothing is certain, I am calm. I have everything in my hands. I am not saying that I will not continue at Manchester United. I will think about what is best for me.
This really reveals nothing beyond what we didn't already know. Nani fell out of favour with Ferguson after a mediocre season and with just a year remaining on his contract he may be available for a cut price fee, though his likely high wage demands would make him a gamble for anyone willing to cough up the cash.
Previously Linked
The main logical basis for this rumour appears to have been the fact that during the January transfer window last season, with Theo Walcott still not having ended his contract saga, Wenger began being linked with any half available winger in the country as a possible replacement for his England starlet.
There is more than one issue with this half baked assumption. Firstly, we could find no official comment from Nani or Wenger that Arsenal were indeed interested in him at the time so even that old story was purely conjecture. Then there is the fact that Ferguson is no longer the manager, and Moyes may well give Nani another crack at the whip. Finally, even though Ferguson hardly played Nani last season, he appears to still rate him very highly, when asked about a move away for Nani last winter he spoke very fondly of him and suggested strongly that the winger had a future at United, and that he definitely would not be sold at that stage. With Ferguson still involved in an advisory role he may well be inclined to give Nani another go too.
So the whole story appears to have been complied on the basis of the limited time remaining on Nani's contract, the fictitious notion that Arsenal were seriously chasing him last winter when Walcott's contract remained unsigned, and the disputable idea that he is no longer wanted by new United manager David Moyes.
We're giving this story a truth rating of 20% on the basis that his low price might make him attractive for any club wealthy enough to pay his wages, but this by no means implies he will leave United. His chances of signing for Arsenal are even lower than that on the basis that we could find nothing beyond deductive speculation that linked him to Arsenal in specific.

Thiago the back-up plan for United

GettyImagesThiago Alcantara is on the radar of Manchester United.

Manchester United have their eyes fixed on Barcelona with the Daily Mail reporting that the Red Devils will try to sign young star Thiago Alcantara if they fail in their bid to capture Cesc Fabregas. Alcantara starred in the Spanish under-21 squad as they captured the recent European Championships, but has failed to find the same success in the Barcelona squad, limited to just a handful of starts. The 22-year-old's search for first-team action could make him the bargain of the summer - available at a cut-price £15 million. But Fabregas remains new United manager David Moyes' number one target, the former Arsenal captain seen as the perfect fit for the United engine room.

Talking of Arsenal, the north London club has been all over the rumour mill recently. Firstly, the Mirror are suggesting that the club are just days away from announcing the signing of Real Madrid attacker Gonzalo Higuain, while the same outlet, along with The Sun, believe the asking price for Swansea defender Ashley Williams has out-priced the Londoners. Finally, the Daily Star is reporting that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger tried to hijack West Ham's move for Andy Carroll. The England international's signing for the rival club obviously ending that coup.

Meanwhile, Liverpool's want-away striker Luis Suarez could be heading to Italy and into the arms of another Liverpool hero - Rafael Benitez. According to the Mirror, Napoli boss Benitez is resigned to losing Edinson Cavani and has targeted Cavani's Uruguay team-mate as the perfect replacement. Brendan Rodgers' response? Sign a 14-year-old. The Daily Mail reporting the Liverpool manager has signed youngster Herbie Kane from Bristol City.

And finally, Manchester City duo Aleksandar Kolarov and Carlos Tevez are targets for Serie A champions Juventus. According to the Daily Mail, Kolarov is the perfect fit for a side that claimed domestic honours but failed on the European stage. Tevez on the other hand has been a long term target for the Turin giants who will need to front a £9 million transfer fee to secure the Argentine's services.

Swans kick off season against champions

SWANSEA City will begin their third Premier League season against champions Manchester United.
The Swans will be welcoming the 20-time league winners to the Liberty Stadium on the weekend of August 17.
It will be the first league game for new United boss David Moyes, who replaced Sir Alex Ferguson following his retirement this summer after 26 trophy laden years.
Most exciting for fans will be the return of the South Wales Derby. The Swans will travel to rivals Cardiff City on Saturday, November 2, with the return fixture on Saturday, February 8.

Phil Sumbler of the Swansea Supporters' Trust said: "It is an interesting start to the season, against the champions. It is a different era for Manchester United now.
"I think it is then Arsenal and Liverpool as the next home games so it is an interesting start.
"Last year we finished with the big teams."
Mr Sumbler said he was sure both games against Cardiff City would pass without incident and that the Swans had a lot to look forward to this season, with European football coming to the Liberty Stadium as well.
"The derby will be a great occasion," he said.
"Everyone enjoys it and the fact it is the first one in the Premier League means there probably has been no bigger game between the sides.
"It will be a bubble match, the fans will picked up from their own stadiums and escorted along the motorway.
"It is unfortunate that is the way it has to be.
"The next big thing will be when we find out who we play in the Europa League, which will be on July 19.
"Hopefully we can do ourselves and Wales proud. We want to build on what we have done after two exceptional seasons."
Other fans have also been quick to have their say on the game as well.
One Post reader, Odinhouse, wrote: "Cardiff away in November, that should be good. On the field I hope and not outside.
"Two Welsh teams have to show that Wales have good players and are well supported."
The club's final three games will see them take on Aston Villa at home, Southampton away and Sunderland for the final game at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, May 11.
A spokesman for South Wales Police was unable to confirm the travel arrangements for the two clubs but said: "South Wales Police is accustomed to policing large sporting events as a result of hosting the Wembley fixtures for six years and two Premier League seasons in Swansea.
"We work closely with both clubs and now that the fixtures have been published, policing arrangements for the forthcoming season will be developed.
"As always we want the focus to be on the football games not the policing of the fixtures and we wish both teams every success."