Good news travels fast and seems to lose its punch even quicker; the record signing of Angel di Maria seems to have been forgotten less than 13 hours after being officially announced after Manchester United were battered 4-0 at MK Dons.
Given, it was a team assembled of young players not yet anywhere near good enough and seasoned ‘professionals’ who should probably not play for the club again but taken into consideration with the first league results of the season it’s clear the club is in need of severe strengthening in the middle of the park and in defence.
The signing of Arturo Vidal has been rumoured all summer but the Gazzetta Della Sport claim that his agent Fernando Felicevich was in Manchester yesterday to put the finishing touches to the players personal agreement to move to United. The Italian newspaper, however, later quote this report from Ian Herbert in the Independent when it comes to the suggested fee of £42m. Should we expect movement on this deal as rapidly as we saw it for Di Maria?
Your eyes may have rolled at another Vidal headline but wait, there’s more, as the Daily Star go large on an ‘exclusive’ that has its foundation surely only in the reporters head. Liverpool’s average midfielder Joe Allen is laughably linked with a £20m move to United. Thankfully the rumour isn’t substantiated with anything.
In the same paper, and slightly more believable, is the news that United could be poised to make Daley Blind the 5th signing of the summer. The Ajax defender has been linked with a move ever since his cross diagonal was met with a diving header from Robin van Persie against Spain in the World Cup and after Edwin van der Sar was spotted at Carrington yesterday, two and two may well make four on this occasion.
Elsewhere, Danny Welbeck continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal.