Fergie to carry out biggest overhaul in 16 years this summer

zocoss SG

Retiring: Man United legend Paul Scholes is unlikely to continue playing next season

Manchester United may be on the brink of a domestic and European double but they will carry out the biggest overhaul of their squad in 16 years this summer.

Chief executive David Gill confirmed on Sunday that veteran Paul Scholes is likely to follow Gary Neville into retirement and up to eight more could leave Old Trafford in the most significant shake-up since Sir Alex Ferguson famously turned to his young generation after offloading Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis in 1995.

Tomasz Kuszczak - horribly unconvincing at Blackburn on Saturday - will follow Edwin van der Sar out of the club while Michael Owen is unlikely to be offered a new deal.

Injury-plagued Owen Hargreaves is out of contract and, at best, can expect a pay-as-you-play agreement, while Ferguson has a big decision to make over Dimitar Berbatov, who has become an increasingly peripheral figure despite being the Premier League's leading goalscorer.

Wes Brown, Darron Gibson and even Jonny Evans could also be sold if the right offers come in.

Ferguson is set to move for Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder and Ashley Young of Aston Villa although his interest in Everton youngster Jack Rodwell is believed to have cooled.

United are also expected to sign Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea, with Gill confirming: 'We know the keeper we want. We are in a good situation with that.'

Target: Davide De Gea is Ferguson's No 1 choice to replace Edwin van der Sar

On Scholes, he added: 'It wouldn't surprise us if Paul Scholes retired. He will have a conversation with Sir Alex at the end of the season.'

CKeer SG

This was United's 2011 squad at the start of the season:

1. Edwin Van Der Sar
2. Gary Neville
3. Patrice Evra
4. Owen Hargreaves
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. Wes Brown
7. Michael Owen
8. Anderson
9. Dimitar Berbatov
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Ryan Giggs
12. Chris Smalling
13. Ji Sung Park
14. Javier Hernandez
15. Nemanja Vidic
16. Michael Carrick
17. Nani
18. Paul Scholes
19. Danny Welbeck
20. Fabio Da Silva
21. Rafael Da Silva
22. John O’Shea
23. Johny Evans
24. Darren Fletcher
25. Antonio Valencia
26. Gabriel Obertan
27. Federico Macheda
28. Darron Gibson
29. Tomas Kuszczak
30. Ritchie De Laet
31. Cory Evans
32. Mame Biram Diouf
33. Bebe
34. Anders Lindegaard
35. Tom Cleverley
37. Robert Brady
40. Ben Amos
41. Joshua King
42. Magnus Eikrem / Paul Pogba
44. Joe Dudgeon
45. Oliver Gill
46. Ryan Tunnicliffe
47. Oliver Norwood
49. Ravel Morrison

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Along the season:

1. Gary Neville retires

2. Danny Welbeck went out on loan at Sunderland (22 Appearances 6 Goals)
Federico Macheda went out on loan at Samdoria (14 Appearances 0 Goals)
Ritchie De Laet went out on loan at Reading (22 Appearances 0 Goals)
Mame Biram Diouf went out on loan at Blackburn (26 Appearances 3 Goals)
Tom Cleverley went out on loan at Wigan (22 Appearances 4 Goals)
Nicky Ajose went out on loan at Bury (28 Appearances 13 Goals)
Both Corry Evans and Joe Dudgeon went out on loan at Hull City

3. Magnus Eikrem has since followed Solskjaer back to his homeland Norway to play for Molde, his squad number is reassigned to Paul Pogba. Both Corry Evans and Joe Dudgeon's loan spell was made permanent.

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Issues on hand:

1. Owen Hargreaves' persistent injury and being out of contract at the end of the season

2. Wes Brown's, Michael Owen's, Tomas Kuszczak's contract is up in the summer

3. Van Der Sar's and Scholes' retirement

4. Berbatov's transfer talk

5. Return of loan players eager for first team actions

6. Defence woe with only Smalling and Fabio being the 2 only dependable backups. O'Shea is too slow, Brown is too relaxed, Evans is crap

7. Weak Central Midfield

8. Trememdous dip in form of Evra after the World Cup

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As such, I think Fergie should:

1. Not even offer Hargreaves a pay-as-you-play contract because he can't even last 5 minutes against Wolves! At least Michael Owen can play 15-20 minutes per match.

2. Let Kuszczak and Owen leave. Lindergaard and Welbeck are adequate cover.

3. I would love to see Neuer put on the Red Devil shirt but he has since agreed to move on to Bayern. The 2nd Choice would probably be De Gea although I personally feel that United should try and make an adacious bid for Given. Never say never. Cantona was bought over from Leeds no?

As for Scholes, probably we need someone like Sneijder although i feel that there's no way he will come to Old Trafford. Why not look elsewhere? Porto's Joao Moutinho? Standard Liege's Steven Defour? Lyon's Yoann Gourcuff?

4. Let Berbatov leave. As I've mentioned in another thread, he might just be a one season wonder, His body language still remains - he sulks when his teammates do not pass to him or when he misses a chance. That's not a good sign unless you're that damn good like Cristiano Ronaldo whom I think Fergie had trouble replacing.

5. Welbeck and Macheda deserves their chances and so does Cleverley. I'm not too sure how the loan will impact reserves like De Laet and Ajose, I doubt they will ever break into the first team. There's no way the chicken farmers would buy Diouf - he's not an outdated superstar like Ronaldinho you know?

6. Defence is something United should worry about. Apart from Ferdinand, Vidic and Smalling, there's really no one capable as able backups. Brown fumbles when called upon, O'Shea challenges clumsily (remember the match against Liverpool at Old Trafford? He gave them the hope of a comeback!), Evans is well... what's the thing that comes out from your ass? Oh Yes! He's crap. I think Fergie should try and sign Tomkins from West Ham since they're doomed anyway. Tomkins is young and ever improving, just what United needs.

7. I think United always let themselves down at the middle of the field. Fletcher is not World-Class, he needs a World-Class partner in the middle to be effective and play well. Carrick is not able to provide him with that and he's always invisible. Hargreaves is a goner, Scholes is retiring. Anderson provide glimpse of his talent but is always so unlucky with injuries at the wrong time. Gibson is well, Gibson. Sometimes he's good, other times he's just awful.

8. I wonder if Evra is badly affected by the World Cup saga, he's not his usual reliable self this season. Many a times winger and even wing backs run riot on his wing and he cant seem to cope with that. Should United look elsewhere for option? I say yes, keep tab on Fabio Coentrao and even Leighton Baines. Evra is approaching the wrong side of his 30s and Fabio Da Silva is is too inexperienced to be placed in the starting 11 unlike his brother Rafael.

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My choice of United Squad next season (hopefully)

1. David De Gea (New Signing)
2. Rafael da Silva (New Squad Number)
3. Patrice Evra
4. Steven Defour (New Signing)
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. Nemanja Vidic (New Squad Number)
7. Nani (New Squad Number)
8. Anderson
9. Javier Hernandez (New Squad Number)
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Ryan Giggs
12. Chris Smalling
13. Ji Sung Park
14. Fabio Da Silva (New Squad Number)
15. James Tomkins (New Signing)
16. Michael Carrick
17. Antonio Valencia (New Squad Number)
18. Tom Cleverley (New Squad Number)
19. Danny Welbeck
20. Federico Macheda (New Squad Number)
21. Anders Lindegaard (New Squad Number)
22. John O’Shea
23. Johny Evans
24. Darren Fletcher
25. Ravel Morrison (New Squad Number)
26. Gabriel Obertan
27. Bebe (New Squad Number)
28. Ryan Tunnicliffe (New Squad Number)
29. Robert Brady (New Squad Number)
30. Ritchie De Laet
31. Ben Amos (New Squad Number)
32. Joshua King (New Squad Number)
33. Oliver Gill (New Squad Number)
34. Paul Pogba (New Squad Number)
35. Oliver Norwood (New Squad Number)