Luis Nani | 2013/14 Performances

[askabob]

The Mirror running with a story of Monaco making a £20M bid for Nani.

I'm a huge fan of Nani and I would love to see him here for the next few years, but given that the past few months have been turbulent and have probably signaled the end of his time at Old Trafford - despite a new manager coming in - I would take this deal. It's not that Nani is worth more or less, it's that not many teams will come in for this price (given that we bought him for £17m), particularly as we seem intent on selling him. Furthermore I'd rather him go to a foreign team than a domestic one and come back to bite us.

For what it's worth, I think he should stay and now would be a fresh start to his OT career, given his seemingly difficult problems with SAF.

 

[Annahnomoss]

Even I who is one of Nani's biggest "fans" compared to the lot on here would take a 20-25 mill deal. We could put another 10 mill on that and suddenly we have an absolute world-class player who would start every game for us for the next 10 years.

 

[devilish]

Aye we have been dire since we signed Nani and Anderson.

Is it thanks to Nani and Ando that we weren't?

 

[Backrow Singer]

It's a tough one for me this. I think Nani is another player who will benefit from a fresh start next season. New manager, new season, and a new opportunity to impress, and when he is confident and he is playing well, he offers us a great deal. I don't think David Moyes will walk straight into Old Trafford and start releasing players. He will give everyone an opportunity to prove what they can do, and he will give everyone an opportunity to push there names forward. On his day he is a good player but like with a couple of players on the squad, we don't see that quality often enough because of his consistency. He will have one game where he looks a quality player but he will back that up a run of poor performances, and that's the frustrating part.

Like I said, I can't see Moyes selling him this season, but I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world if he did. Like I said though, a new start might just give him the confidence to push him to the next level.

 

[Walrus]

I agree that a fresh start may do Nani some good. This season he seems to have struggled with injuries, but hasnt been given a fair chance in my eyes, especially compared to the likes of Valencia who must have some serious dirt on Fergie - how else can you explain his continued selection?

Nani is a player who I really want to stay at the club, he is better and offers something different to any of our other wingers, and I suspect that if Rooney goes and we play Kagawa as the #10, Nani will link up incredibly well with him.

The arguments against Nani that he is inconsistent and lazy are both essentially outdated myths from when he first joined the club - he proved in the 10/11 and 11/12 seasons that he can perform and produce consistently, and there is nothing wrong with his work rate. He is often one of the players making mad 50-yard runs right up in the 90th minute during a counterattack.

 

[Kevin]

Nani gone, no other winger brought in, would you be happy with the 20 mil?

 

[Walrus]

No.

If we are to sell Nani (and if we assume Rooney also goes), then we need to be looking at a world class replacement, ie Bale or Ronaldo, in addition to a decent midfield option such as Fellaini.

If PSG came in with a huge offer of like £35m+ for Nani then I would understand that we couldnt really turn it down, but considering we signed him for £17m, the same sort of price as we paid for Valencia and Young, and given how much he has improved since he joined and is now into his peak years, £20m is undervaluing him, especially to a club like PSG who can obviously afford more.

 

[MikeUpNorth]

Doesn't he only have a year left on his contract? If we were to sell, then £20m seems about right in that case.

 

[Lawman]

Nani gone, no other winger brought in, would you be happy with the 20 mil?

Zaha?

 

[Castia]

£20m is a decent fee considering his contract situation. It's also a good move seeing him go to a lesser club and league (for the moment at least). Id take that offer everyday of the week to be honest.

 

[Revan]

Unless we are planning to sign Bale/Ronaldo, I don't want Nani to leave. If we are going to sell him though, 20m is as good as we can get.

 

[Mainoldo]

Well depends doesnt it. If we get 20m we would be stupid not to accept seeing as he won't sign a contract. Aslong as his replacement is of the same level we should be okay i.e. Di Maria.

 

[Escobar]

Unless we are planning to sign Bale/Ronaldo, I don't want Nani to leave. If we are going to sell him though, 20m is as good as we can get.

I'd agree. If he leaves, we'd need a first class replacement as Young and Valencia are mediocre and Zaha will need time

 

[Shinjisan]

For £20m I volunteer to drive him to his next destination.

That's a very good price for someone stalling on a new contract, has only one year left and hasn't had the best of seasons.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

For £20m I volunteer to drive him to his next destination.

That's a very good price for someone stalling on a new contract, has only one year left and hasn't had the best of seasons.

Yep.

Can't see United getting that much in these circumstances unless there is competition from sugar daddy clubs.

Personally I would prefer him to sign a new contract.

 

[CantonaVeron]

I think I'd look to keep Nani, he is an excellent player and we are short on the wings anyway. If we are going to address central midfield I feel with Nani, Valencia, Young and Zaha we will be covered on the wings, which is one less thing to worry about.

 

[Tibs]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Selling Nani - and keeping Valencia and Young

Any other team did that and we'd all be ing

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Selling Nani - and keeping Valencia and Young

Any other team did that and we'd all be ing

That's harsh on Valencia. Until last season, he has always been a very good winger for United. Nani may be a better player but that's not always translated into consistently better performances for United.

Young's a squad player at best. Personally I'd like to keep the attacking options as they are and keep Nani and Rooney.

 

[Rossa]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Selling Nani - and keeping Valencia and Young

Any other team did that and we'd all be ing

Relatively true, but I think you are putting too much emphasis on Valencia of this season, not last season. Guardiola didn't proclaim him to be the best winger in Europe for no reason.

The Young vs Nani argument is very valid though. They were comparable once though, weren't they?

 

[Amir]

Problem is once a player has a season so bad, and I mean really horrific, can you really rely so much on him coming back to form? I certainly wouldn't mind going into next season with the same set of wingers. But losing Nani and gaining just Zaha is a huge rusk.

 

[All 3 United]

Problem is once a player has a season so bad, and I mean really horrific, can you really rely so much on him coming back to form? I certainly wouldn't mind going into next season with the same set of wingers. But losing Nani and gaining just Zaha is a huge rusk.

My immediate question is, was it as bad as Valencia's?

 

[mungy]

My immediate question is, was it as bad as Valencia's?

Worse, far worse. Surely that is without question.

 

[wr8_utd]

Worse, far worse. Surely that is without question.

Nani at his worst can't have a season as bad as the one Valencia just had.

 

[Giggsforever]

Nani at his worst can't have a season as bad as the one Valencia just had.

Agree, Nani is a better, more diverse player and will bring you more in terms of the general play than Valencia could.

 

[CapeTownRed]

Relatively true, but I think you are putting too much emphasis on Valencia of this season, not last season. Guardiola didn't proclaim him to be the best winger in Europe for no reason.

The Young vs Nani argument is very valid though. They were comparable once though, weren't they?

Nani at his best is better than Valencia at his best. Nani at his worst is better than Valencia at his worst. Nani better than both Young and Valencia. Simple really

 

[anver]

He is better than the other two. But, if he wants out, its best to sell him.

 

[Shinjisan]

He is better than the other two. But, if he wants out, its best to sell him.

I disagree.

On his day he has a higher ceiling than the other two. There are things that Nani can do on the offensive side that the other two can only dream of. Though in the last two seasons those days have been few and far between. For me, that doesn't make him a better player, just someone who can perform better than the other two when in mood.

I am not of fond of the stick that Young gets from the United faithful. Injuries haven't been kind to him in his time with us. The huge price tag also hangs on the poor guys head, and for no fault of his. In his limited appearances he has shown that he can give consistency both on the offensive and the defensive side. Also, he is quite versatile in that he can play anywhere behind the striker. Better luck with injuries and he'll be a solid squad player for us.

 

[Devil may care]

I'm still hoping we can sort something out and keep him, I don't relish the thought of Valencia and Young starting regularly again next season with Welbeck thrown in when we want a pure defensive winger.

 

[7even]

I hope Nani stays but if I try to be neutral all signs indicate he's on his way out. Can we get close to €20m it's OK to let him go, otherwise we should try to find a solution so he can stay.

But tbh I'm a little worried about what's going on behind the scenes.

 

[Zen86]

It will be a shame to lose him but I'm pretty resigned to it now.

 

[lysglimt]

Nani at his best is better than Valencia at his best. Nani at his worst is better than Valencia at his worst. Nani better than both Young and Valencia. Simple really

And when did Nani last have 2 good games in a row ?

 

[Orton]

And when did Nani last have 2 good games in a row ?

Reading, QPR, Madrid... Then came the red card and more injuries.

 

[Hannibal]

Nani is miles better than Valencia. Nani has more ammo to hurt the opposition than Valencia. I would even put Young ahead of Valencia. I can't think of any player in the history of our club that had a season as woeful as the one Valencia had in 12/13. It was cringe-worthy at times!

 

[Sassy Colin]

Reading, QPR, Madrid... Then came the red card and more injuries.

People forget this.

Nani had one poor game & that's what every one remembers. When he actually got the chance to play, he played well & when he got a run of games he got better & better.

He has been injured quite a lot this season also.

 

[RedTillI'mDead]

To be honest I think with Nani we are in a fairly win-win situation.

If he is sold we win because we get say £20m+. We wouldn't sell him for much less than £15m, thus no complaints. If he is sold we win because we stop worrying about his potential to reach top level consistently, no longer our problem. We also win because a new player has the chance to shine, like Zaha, but this kind of balances out with the stop worrying about Nani, as we just have someone else to worry about!

If he stays we have the chance of him getting to his best under a new manager, thus we win.

It's so finally balanced that we can't really lose, he is not consistent enough for it to be a disaster if he goes, he has so much potential and at times having proved this that we don't lose by keeping him.

With Rooney on the other hand it is a much larger debate. For me if he goes we lose, but that is not to say it is not the right time to sell. We lose whenever one of our best players go, but no player lasts forever, thus picking the right time to sell is crucial and although we might lose it might be the best time to lose. Highest transfer fee we'll get for him, balanced off with questions of whether he is as good as he was and whether he is heading for decline.

Personally I would not sell either Rooney or Nani unless we have some seriously good signings lined up. We could afford to lose Nani and replace him with Zaha only if we seriously strengthen other areas of the team.

We could afford to lose Rooney and effectively replace him with Hernandez/ Welbeck/ Kagawa in the pecking order, only if we strengthen other areas of the team.

Basically losing Rooney or Nani is potentially less damaging than the positive impact of buying a world class midfielder. We have good strength and depth on the wings ands up-front. Yes wings is more depth, but all our wingers are at least of a decent standard, occasionally having world-class outings.

To summarise, if we can sign a world-class midfielder, which we should, then it is a less of a concern and we should just do what works best with the player. If we don't we need to get them to work best with us, as otherwise we will be lacking the collective qualities!

I should also add that if we keep both Rooney and Nani then we could potentially get by without a world-class midfielder and instead give our youth some opportunities, but that is a separate debate and is still questionable without Rooney and Nani getting back to their best.

 

[finneh]

People forget this.

Nani had one poor game & that's what every one remembers. When he actually got the chance to play, he played well & when he got a run of games he got better & better.

He has been injured quite a lot this season also.

This is something that I am quite confused about. You look at Nani's career and when he has been played on a regular basis there has been a steady increase in consistency, productivity and general ability up until the end of 2011 (voted 22nd in the 2011 Fifa Ballon d'Or).

Since then because of injury and falling out of favour he has never really had a prolonged run on games. I said the same about Rafael a couple of seasons ago - in order to see his best form he needs a run of games. It really perplexes me that some players can be consistently poor but are given 10-15 games to get their match sharpness back, whereas others don't seem to get enjoy the same leniency (although it might be different under Moyes).

You play Nani consistently and he'll be one of the best wingers in the world, but he will often be poor when given sporadic chances.

 

[starman]

20m is pretty cheap tbh.

That is the minimum we would expect, were we to sell him to a big club with a decent amount of money, not one with a sugar daddy like Monaco. Hes only 26 and is in the top 10 best wingers in the world. On his day top 3.

They signed Rodriguez for 36m, who has only done it Portugal. I hope we get as much as we can and not our usual game of selling for the minimum fee (excludes Rolando)

Edit: ok, never knew he only had 1 year left, £20m seems a fair price.

 

[Cling Bak]

To be honest I think with Nani we are in a fairly win-win situation.

If he is sold we win because we get say £20m+. We wouldn't sell him for much less than £15m, thus no complaints. If he is sold we win because we stop worrying about his potential to reach top level consistently, no longer our problem. We also win because a new player has the chance to shine, like Zaha, but this kind of balances out with the stop worrying about Nani, as we just have someone else to worry about!

If he stays we have the chance of him getting to his best under a new manager, thus we win.

It's so finally balanced that we can't really lose, he is not consistent enough for it to be a disaster if he goes, he has so much potential and at times having proved this that we don't lose by keeping him.

With Rooney on the other hand it is a much larger debate. For me if he goes we lose, but that is not to say it is not the right time to sell. We lose whenever one of our best players go, but no player lasts forever, thus picking the right time to sell is crucial and although we might lose it might be the best time to lose. Highest transfer fee we'll get for him, balanced off with questions of whether he is as good as he was and whether he is heading for decline.

It looks like we have more wins than losses in this sitaution. So we win!

Excellent, great.

What were we playing again?

 

[Drifter]

Manchester United star leaving for Galatasaray after snubbing Monaco, say Turkish press

http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/...ar-leaving-for-galatasaray-after-snubbing-mon

 

[simonhch]

Looks nailed on to leave. Reports say he's agreed a move to Galatasaray. Massive step down for him. Happy to see him go far away (as in not to a direct rival). Been brilliant in patches and infuriating in others. Not a massive loss to be honest. Life will go on. I wish him well.