There is still a major doubt to whether Nemanja Vidic will be playing his football at Manchester United this coming season or not, but as many clubs have found out in the past - when a player is undecided about his future, he has actually already decided it.
The big Serbian central defender is currently on holiday following his involvement in this summer’s 2010 FIFA World Cup, but the speculation of his imminent departure is growing by the day.
Even Sir Alex Ferguson has recently stated that he is unsure if Vidic will remain with Old Trafford, which means that he is probably on his way to either Real Madrid or Barcelona.
There have been long-standing rumors that Nemanja wants to be on the same wages of Rio Ferdinand, which is approximately £110,000 a week, but out of sheer principle, United do not negotiate contracts with their players until there is less than two years remaining on their contract.
The speculation is nothing new with Vidic, because according to reports he was interested in going to Spain, but a pre-season injury, more than likely, prevented him from securing that move.
His disinterest was obvious in his displays as he was not the same committed defender that won the hearts of the Old Trafford supporters.
One event that clearly indicated he does not have United’s best interest at heart is his withdrawal of himself prior to the FA Cup loss to Leeds United. Ferguson claimed that he did not know why he withdrew himself, but claimed it could have been an injury.
Vidic came to Old Trafford in a £6 million move from Spartak Moscow in January 2006, but the center-back became a United hit for his tough-tackling approach.
In his four years with United, Vidic has played 186 matches and chipped in with 13 goals.
Replacement
Sir Alex does not have to go and spend loads of money bringing in someone to fill the void that would be left by Vidic, because he already has a few players that are ready-made replacements.
Jonny Evans, Wes Brown and John O’Shea offer experience to provide cover, so the Gaffer could be a bit worried because what transpired last season. Injuries completely decimated the United back-four, which ultimately lead them to losing out on the Barclays Premier League title.
Rio has already been ruled out for the start of the season after suffering a knee injury in a training session prior to the start of the World Cup, which may force Sir Alex to bring in an accomplished defender. Chris Smalling, 20, is seen as the long-term replacement for Ferdinand, but he does not have the experience to compete week in and week out.
Some center-backs that might be a viable option for United are Gary Cahill from Bolton Wanderers or former youth player Ryan Shawcross who is at Stoke City. Both Cahill and Shawcross are both big, strong central defenders, but the latter of the two is a hard-nosed Steve Bruce defender.
If Nemanja Vidic does decide to leave Manchester United, his contribution will be, without question, missed, but one thing that Sir Alex Ferguson prides himself on is never letting the club to stand still – or beg a player to stay.
Contributed by David Hammons / United View From Abroad
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