Foster expecting to move on

sand king SG

By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent

April 18, 2010

Gianluigi Buffon could be heading for Manchester this summer in one of the biggest transfer deals of the close season, and Italian sources believe City are poised to outbid United for a man ranked by many as the world's number one goalkeeper.

GettyImages

Gianluigi Buffon could be set to leave Juventus this summer

United beat City on Saturday to restore their chances of the Premier League title and consequently damage their blue rivals' hopes of qualifying for Champions League football, which would hugely enhance City's ability to attract the best players in the summer transfer market. But if money talks, City will clearly be shouting the loudest when it comes to making the right kind of offer to tempt Buffon.

Italian reports suggest United will offer Nemanja Vidic plus cash for Buffon, while City have the ability to match Juventus' £30 million asking price. Sir Alex Ferguson is reluctant to lose Vidic, but there has been speculation all season that the centre half wants to quit for a warmer climate as his wife has failed to settle in England.

The biggest stumbling block for Ferguson, though, is Buffon's wage demands of £4 million after tax, and with a new high rate of tax imposed in England, that would make Buffon by far the highest earner at Old Trafford.

Juventus have suffered a wreck of a season and are looking to rebuild. Buffon, a prime asset who could be cashed in by the Bianconeri, said of a potential move from Juventus, who he joined from Parma in 2001 for a then world-record £23 million fee: "The decision does not depend on where we finish in the table whether or not we qualify for the Champions League, although we must carry on in these circumstances and at the end of the season we'll see what happens."

Buffon was one of a number of players who stayed with Juventus despite an enforced 2006 relegation following the calciopoli corruption scandal.

And Soccernet's Italian sources revealed on Sunday: "Three weeks ago Roberto Bettega [Juve's vice director general] said that Gigi was untouchable, and that he will stay with Juve. However, three years ago Juve made a pact with their players, a gentleman's agreement, that if they stayed when they were relegated to the Serie B, they would be allowed to go after three years if the club failed to get back to their glory days.

"But for Buffon to leave Juve, the price will have to be right. The fee is £30 million and the player requires £4 million after tax. As Barcelona and Real have good keepers, the only destination can be England, and while United need a new top goalkeeper to replace Edwin Van der Sar, City have the resources to buy Buffon."

Blues boss Roberto Mancini has reportedly endorsed City's interest in Buffon, even though Shay Given was purchased from Newcastle for a significant fee in January 2009. Bayern Munich have been linked with Buffon before as a replacement for Hans-Jorg Butt, himself a stopgap after the failure to adequately replace Oliver Kahn.

Juventus already have their eye on a Buffon replacement in Cagliari goalkeeper Federico Marchetti while Villarrreal's Argentine keeper Diego Lopez is a target who just so happens to share an agent with Rafael Benitez, who is still understood to be considering an offer to take over at Juve, where he would be granted a large budget to buy several players including Lyon's Michel Bastos and PSV Eindhoven starlet Ibrahim Afellay.

Saltiga SG

ya should just try to get a bigger pay cheque before retiring

As romanista2001 SG

Buffon was very good at Parma and 1st few seasons at Juve..................after that, he's more of a BUFFOON............

Rooney9 SG

Both Arsenal and Man Utd will be bringing in new players this summer and high on their list of priorities is a goalkeeper with both clubs tracking the same keepers in Germany. According to the German press Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are both keen on Bayer Leverkusen stopper Rene Adler.

Adler has been linked with Arsenal now for a a couple of weeks now as have Bayern Munich and we can now add Man Utd to the German number one’s list of admirers. Edwin Van Der Sar the current Man Utd number one is fast approaching the end of his career while Manuel Almunia no longer carries Wengers confidence at The Emirates and so it is no surprise that Wenger and Fergie would end up looking at the same top class keepers.

Rene Adler is back in training now following his rib injury and the German media are claiming that representatives of Man Utd and Arsenal are expected in Germany over the next week to open up discussions with Bayer Leverkusen who it appears have now resigned themselves to the fact that Adler will be leaving them at the end of the season.

Bayern Munich are still in the frame, though Manual Neuer remains their favoured goalkeeping target and the chances are that it will be either Arsenal or Man Utd that end up luring Rene Adler to the English Premiership.

iceFatboy SG

Rene Adler... at gunners, 1st choice? @ MU will be 2nd choice, right?

Rooney9 SG

Ben Foster has been linked with a move to Birmingham

Ben Foster has confirmed that he expects to leave Manchester United this summer as he attempts to revive his career.

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he plans to allow one or two senior players to leave Old Trafford this summer, and Foster, 27, appears to be among the candidates.

The goalkeeper had been expected to challenge Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak for a place in the starting line-up but, following some disappointing early season form, he admits he now needs to find regular football elsewhere.

"You never want to leave Manchester United," he told the Manchester Evening News. "If you leave this club you are only ever going to go down, but I want to be playing football.

"I am not interested in just hanging around and I would go if the club wanted to sell me. If they are happy to accept a bid then you have to read between the lines and realise you are not really needed and move on. It would not be the end of the world for me."

Many tipped Foster to establish himself as first-choice in the England squad ahead of this summer's World Cup, but he accepts there is little prospect of a call-up given his recent lack of match action.

"I don't think there is any chance of South Africa now," he said. "If he were to pick me it would be very unfair on some of the other goalkeepers.

"I have not played a first-team game for a good few months and some of the English lads out there like Joe Hart and Robert Green have been doing fantastic."