It has now been confirmed that Nemanja Vidic will be leaving Manchester United for Inter Milan at the end of the season, so who will the Red Devils turn to as his replacement?
Winston Reid
It’s been muted in various football blogs that David Moyes will turn towards the West Ham defender. New Zealander Reid is a composed centre back who reads the game well, as well as being strong in the air. What’s promising about Reid is that the club’s seemingly lack of Champions League football will not perturb the defender, as it is still a big step up. Potential drawbacks are the fact that he’s right-footed, all the United centre-backs are right-footed so ideally they need a left-sided centre-back. With a market value of around £6million, money is no issue. However, they may face competition from Arsenal, who can offer Champions League football and it would also mean that Reid would not have relocate from London.
Matthias Ginter
The Freiburg centre-back has been watched by the United scouting team on numerous occasions. The 20-year-old has been one of the standout stars of the Bundesliga this season and various football news outlets have reported that he would welcome a move to Manchester. Due to his age he offers a realistic long term prospect but as another right-footed centre-back he isn’t the perfect fit. If United are to sign anyone Ginter looks the most realistic.
Ezequiel Garay
The Argentine has been linked with a move to Manchester United for over a year now and is probably the best option to instantly replace Vidic. His club Benfica will hold out for around £20million for the player but that will not be a problem – United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has made it clear that money is no issue. However, with other clubs looking at Garay, United are going to have to give him a hard sell to make the 27-year-old choose Old Trafford rather than clubs who can offer Champions League football.
