Manchester United Set for End of Season Clear Out
The Sunday Mirror is claiming Sir Alex Ferguson is ready for a busy summer, that Manchester United is set for an end of season clear out, seeking to rebuild their squad.
The Red Devils have had an inconsistent season, having lost five times in the Premier League already and also dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round by League One side Leeds United.
The Sunday Mirror is claiming that these events have prompted Ferguson, at the end of the season, to sell Dimitar Berbatov, Anderson, Nani and Zoran Tosic, along with Nemanja Vidic.
According to the tabloid, a “United insider” insists that Berbatov’s future at the club, in particular was in jeopardy, saying: “The four midfield players got a lot of criticism after the Leeds (United) game, but the biggest under-performer was Berbatov.
“People say he’s got a great touch, and that isn’t in doubt, but this game is also about hunger and work rate. To put it bluntly, Dimitar Berbatov doesn’t run around enough for this United team – and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the people that matter most.”
Manchester United today announced pre-tax profits of just over £48 million, but that figure does include the £80m that the club received from Real Madrid for the sale of Christiano Ronaldo.
A statement on the club’s official website reads:
“Group turnover for the year was £278.5 million (2008: £256.2 million). Operating profit before depreciation and amortization of intangible fixed assets for the year was £91.3 million (2008: £80.4 million). Profit before tax for the year was £48.2 million (2008: Loss of £21.4 million).”