Dimitar Berbatov will head a sensational clear-out of £80m
of Manchester United talent at the end of the season.
Sir Alex Ferguson has run out of patience with the £30.75m
striker after 18 months of inconsistent performances.
And the United boss is also looking to offload underachieving
trio Anderson, Nani and Zoran Tosic as well as unsettled central
defender Nemanja Vidic.
It will signal the biggest overhaul of a United squad since 1995
when Ferguson dumped Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis, Mark Hughes to
clear the way for youngsters like David Beckham, Paul Scholes,
Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers.
The United boss believes he can finally land long-term target
Karim Benzema following the Frenchman’s failure to settle at Real
Madrid following his £30m summer transfer from Lyon.
But first he will look to raise cash by selling Berbatov, who
has become the most expensive flop in Old Trafford history since
moving from Tottenham.
The Bulgarian has scored just 20 goals in 66 appearances for
United.
He has been carrying a knee injury that required an exploratory
operation last month.
But while the blame for United’s shock FA Cup home defeat at the
hands of League One Leeds last week has been widely placed on the
shoulders of several of the club’s younger players, some fingers
inside the club have also been pointed at Berbatov.
A United insider said: “The four midfield players got a lot of
criticism after the Leeds game, but the biggest underperformer was
Berbatov.
“People say he’s got a great touch, and that isn’t in doubt, but
this game is also about hunger and workrate.
“To put it bluntly, Berbatov doesn’t run around enough for this
United team – and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the people that
matter most.”
Nani, a £17m signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2007, is also on
borrowed time after failing to even come close to grasping the
opportunity to fill Cristiano Ronaldo’s boots.
The Portuguese winger has played just once since criticising
Ferguson over a lack of first-team opportunities whilst away on
international duty in early November, although he has been
sidelined by a month by an ankle problem.
Nani, 23, was hoping the departure of Ronaldo would give him
more scope to become United’s playmaker, but he has struggled to
cope with the physical demands of the English game.
Anderson was substituted after failing to make an impact against
Leeds and is another who has not given value for money after United
paid Porto £18m for his services two years ago.
The Brazilian international feels he has not been given enough
chances to impress in his favourite position as an attacking
midfielder.
He said: “If I said I’m not disappointed things I’d be
lying.
“Of course I’m disappointed because a player of my ability, who
is used to playing at attacking role and scoring goals like I did
at Porto, then it makes me sad.
“I have only scored one goal for the club, but I can’t be
dispirited.
“My first goal has to be to get back to the condition I was in
at Porto and to get a run of games like I did there.
“Then I want to start scoring goals and deciding games because
that’s important for my career.”
Anderson, though, is running out of chances with Ferguson, who
feels the 21-year-old’s development has stalled.
It’s a similar scenario with Tosic, who arrived from Partisan
Belgrade with a terrific reputation for £7m but has made only a
handful appearances and has struggled to settle in Manchester.
Vidic once again reiterated a desire to stay at Old Trafford
during the week after dropping out of team to face Leeds with a
late injury.
The Serbian has been targeted by Real Madrid, who are aware of
United’s reluctance to reward Vidic with a new contract that would
put him in line with the club’s £100,000-a-week top earners.
And Ferguson will allow the Spanish club to get their man if
they show a willingness to pay more than £20m for a player who has
struggled with fitness problems this season and will turn 29 in the
autumn.
With Scholes hinting that he will retire at the end of the
season and keeper Edwin van der Sar also considering his options,
it promises to be a busy summer for United.
Ferguson have to take significant losses on Berbatov, Nani,
Anderson and Tosic.
And that will put even more pressure on the Glazer family who
own the club to come up with significant transfer funds whilst once
again finding £70m to service the interest on the club’s £700m
debts.