Wes Brown is expected to end his 11-year association with
Manchester United by moving to Newcastle as a free agent next
summer. The defender is stalling on a new contract from the
Barclays Premier League champions and has told friends that he will
not sign.
With United refusing to increase their offer, Brown has accepted
that he will have to leave Old Trafford when his current deal
expires at the end of the season. Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce
has long been a fan of the 28-year-old England defender and has
been monitoring his situation since the summer.
It is understood that Newcastle's former United players, Nicky Butt
and Alan Smith, have helped persuade Brown to go. Ironically, his
decision to sever ties with his only club comes as he is enjoying
an extended run at right back in place of injured club captain Gary
Neville.
But he is upset that his £40,000-aweek wage falls some way behind
team-mates and knows that manager Sir Alex Ferguson has enquired
about Bayern Munich's Willy Sagnol and Philip Lahm.
Brown is rated by Ferguson as one of the best defenders in the
country but he has endured a stop-start career since his debut nine
years ago, largely because of the form of Neville and a wretched
injury record. He has been affected by Ferguson's refusal to
improve his contract offer and his form has suffered. On Sunday at
Liverpool he was, by some distance, United's worst outfield
player.
