Manchester United officially bids for the Japanese star in Serie A

by ka888g68u on 2009-12-03 13:33:43

Manchester United officially offers for the Japanese star of Serie A, with an additional focus on a UEFA Champions League sensation besides the £75 million man. After 14 rounds in this season's Premier League, Manchester United has scored 30 goals, which lags behind the other three top teams and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, ranking only fifth overall. To win the league championship, Manchester United needs to continue enhancing its attacking power. Valencia's ace striker David Villa and Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto have both been rumored by the media to potentially join Manchester United.

After selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for an astronomical £80 million last summer, Ferguson did not bring in any big-name replacements, so when rumors surfaced that Valencia was looking for a replacement for Villa, it was hard for the manager not to be tempted. The bat team could bear to sell their main shooter only because they were heavily in debt, forced to sell stars to maintain survival. "Whether Villa leaves depends on whether we can find a suitable substitute," admitted Valencia coach Unai Emery.

In fact, this summer Villa was always one of the players highly tipped to transfer to Manchester United. At the time, El Niño said he hoped to stay in Spain, but now he is also very interested in joining the Red Devils. The Daily Express estimated the value of this Spanish international at £50 million, but Valencia President Manuel Llorente claimed last night that Villa's worth is nearly twice £38 million, i.e., £75 million, which is definitely something Manchester United is unwilling and unable to accept.

Additionally, Japanese forward Takayuki Morimoto is also on Ferguson's acquisition list. Manchester United had dispatched scouts to Italy to watch Morimoto play for Catania. The People newspaper revealed that Manchester United has already made contact with Morimoto regarding a possible winter or end-of-season transfer. An insider close to Catania even confirmed that the Serie A club has received an offer and will open the door for the deal, though preferably completed in the summer as they still rely on Morimoto to help them avoid relegation. If Morimoto joins Manchester United, it would further boost the Red Devils' efforts to expand into the Japanese and Asian markets.

Similarly listed on the 'Ferguson recruitment list' is Central Army Moscow's Clasic. This CSKA Moscow winger's agent confirmed that Clasic has a "90% chance" of transferring to England in January. The Sunday Express stated that Ferguson hopes to secure the Serbian international, who has scored goals in the last two rounds of the UEFA Champions League, before Inter Milan and AC Milan do. Clasic first scored the equalizer against Manchester United on November 3rd; then on November 25th, he scored the winning goal against Wolfsburg at home.

Meanwhile, according to The People, Ferguson denied rumors of selling Nani. There are reports that Inter Milan and Benfica are interested in the Portuguese star, but Ferguson said: "If anyone wants to talk to us about Nani in January, we will tell them that Nani is not going anywhere. We need him."

As for Cleverley, the winger loaned out to Watford by Manchester United, he has received an olive branch from Newcastle. However, The Sunday Sun analyzed that the 20-year-old Cleverley is very happy at Watford and has agreed to extend his loan period until the end of the season, making it unlikely for him to join the Magpies halfway through. Moreover, Newcastle prefers a permanent transfer rather than a loan, which Cleverley, who hopes to return to Manchester United, is unwilling to accept.