Manchester United new boy Adem Ljajic has given
himself 12 months to force his way into Sir Alex Ferguson's
first-team squad. Ljajic signed for United from Partizan Belgrade,
part of a £17million double deal in which Zoran Tosic also joined
the Old Trafford outfit.
While Tosic has already made his senior debut, coming on as
substitute in the FA Cup win over Tottenham last month and the
Premier League encounter with West Brom three days later,
17-year-old Ljajic has remained in Belgrade, where he will stay
until next January before joining his new club.
Dubbed 'the new Kaka' in his homeland, Ljajic is a man in a
hurry. He has already spent a couple of weeks at United's
Carrington training HQ. And when he gets to Manchester, he is
determined to figure in Ferguson's plans.
"The quality in England is very high because you are training
with such great players, but the main difference is it's much
quicker," Ljajic told the club's website. "I really enjoyed it and
training with such top players can only help me improve.
"Coming over to England allowed me to see how things worked so I
know what to expect when I come here permanently. "And I hope that
when I join in January I will be involved with the first team from
the start."
Although speculation has surfaced about a possible bid for
Nemanja Vidic from AC Milan this summer, it seems highly unlikely
United would be willing to part with the prospective footballer of
the year.
Ljajic certainly hopes not as he has already benefited from
having Vidic around. "It has been great to see him," he said. "I
have spent a lot of time with him whenever I have been over in
Manchester and he has shown me around the city.
"It can be hard when you move to a new country and don't know
anyone and are yet to learn the language, so it has been fantastic
to have him here."
While Ljajic is coy about his own abilities, Tosic is happy
enough to sing his team-mate's praises. The pair formed an
effective partnership at Partizan and it seems United can look
forward to plenty of exciting times in the future.
"Adem is a very good player with great technical ability," said
Tosic. "He likes to play just behind the striker or on the right
side of midfield. "We played together for around six months at
Partizan and I am sure that when he starts playing for United, the
fans will love him."