PATRICE EVRA EXTENDS OLD TRAFFORD STAY
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has signed a new one year deal to stay at Old Trafford next season.
The French left back, who turned 33 this month, was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in January 2006 and arrived in the same month as Nemanja Vidic.
He won five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup during his time with the club.
In recent years the Frenchman had been captain when Vidic was unavailable.
The news comes as United confirmed the release of six players including Federico Macheda and Vidic who will join Inter Milan after the World Cup.
Vidic’s defensive partner Rio Ferdinand had already announced that he was to leave United earlier this month, saying in a statement:
“I am feeling fit and healthy, ready for a new challenge and looking forward to whatever the future holds for me.”
And interim manager Ryan Giggs announced his retirement for football after accepting a role as assistant manager to Louis Van Gaal who will become manager of Manchester United after the Dutch national team has competed in the World Cup finals in Brazil this summer.
Other players to leave United include Sam Byrne, Jack Rudge, and Jack Barmby.
Barmby, son of former England international Nick, was signed by Leicester City on a two year deal and had appeared for Hartlepool United on loan last season. The 19-year old striker had scored five goals in 15 appearances for the Pool.
In a month of change for United, a number of iconic shirts will become available for new signings at Old Trafford with a midfielder arguably the most pressing requirement although interest in long-term target Toni Kroos of Bayern Munich has cooled since the announcement of Van Gaal as incoming manager.
There remains the prospect of new and exciting players coming in to bolster United’s squad and a war chest reportedly as high as £150m will be made available by United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
One player who will be weighing up Evra’s decision to stay at Old Trafford with interest will be Southampton full back Luke Shaw. Shaw has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford and may have expected to play much more if Evra had left.
Shaw has claimed he is fully focussed on England duty after being named in the World Cup squad by Roy Hodgson.
SHIRT NUMBERS AVAILABLE AT UNITED AS OF MAY 2014, AND THE PREVIOUS INCUMBENT:
5 RIO FERDINAND (left May 2014)
7 ANTONIO VALENCIA (swapped back to number 25)
9 DIMITAR BERBATOV (left to go to Fulham August 2012)
11 RYAN GIGGS (retired)