Manchester United Set For Summer Clear-out

Manchester United's Northern Ireland international Oliver Norwood is looking to leave the Reds this summer and more are likely to vacate Old Trafford in a close season clear out.

Only last month Sir Alex Ferguson was praising the 21-year-old’s loan spell at Coventry City.

The United manager had seen the Burnley-born midfielder at the Ricoh Arena and reckoned he was a star for the sky blues. But Norwood has never made a United senior breakthrough and he believes it is time to part company. “I want to play every week like I was this season in the Championship,” he says. “It's been the hardest decision in my life for me to make but there comes a time when you have to be realistic.”

Last month other reserves Ritchie de Laet and Matty James left for Leicester City. The process of keeping the conveyor belt unclogged will also extend to the first team squad.

Michael Owen, of course, has already departed with the club not extending his contract and Dimitar Berbatov is also expected to go before the new season in August. The Bulgarian has been deal a blow with his former club Bayer Leverkusen, who were keen on a return, claiming they’ve pulled out of the race because United want a fee for their 2008 £30.75m club record buy.

The Reds will hope to recoup £5m for the 31-year-old. 2011 FA Youth Cup winner Paul Pogba has yet to show his hand. The 19-year-old has just helped France Under 19s to the Euro Championships in Estonia between July 3 and 15 with a goal in a 6-0 qualifying romp against Holland.
His Old Trafford contract officially finishes at the end of the month and it is then he is set to announce his future with Juventus the clear favourites to snap him up despite United’s efforts to keep a player who has been in the senior squad.

Brazilian left back Fabio has already been told by Fergie that a 12-month loan spell next season will be best for his future. The 21-year-old looked set for a switch to Portugal with Benfica his most likely destination but with Sporting Lisbon also showing an interest.

However, Mark Hughes at Queens Park Rangers has also come into the mix and the United full back prefers to help his education by staying in the Premier League.

Other candidates for an exit, who’d bring in some money, could be Anderson and Ji-sung Park.

The Brazilian midfielder is said to be weighing up his options and is considering leaving as his United opportunities could be limited in the future.

The same goes for Korean Park who has dropped down the pecking order in the Reds engine room and only had two Premier League starts in 2012. The 31-year-old wants to see out his playing days at Old Trafford but with Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa set to move into the midfield this summer Park could find himself surplus to requirements.

Read more at: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...10_manchester-united-set-for-summer-clear-out

It's not really a clear out when most are reserve players...

A clear out would be like Park, Anderson, Berbatov + Owen.