Eurosport - Sat, 13 Jun 09:36:00 2009
Manchester United have tabled offers for Wigan Athletic's Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia, the club's chairman Dave Whelan has said.
"They (United) have been in touch with us and we will be starting negotiations very shortly, I would imagine," Whelan said when asked about Valencia.
"United have been in touch with us over Antonio for the last two or three months, expressing an interest and actually putting cash offers on the table.
"Those things have got to be picked up now. I think they were waiting to see if Ronaldo actually went to Real, which has happened."
United said on Thursday they had accepted an £80 million bid for Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
The 23-year-old Valencia, who has featured 34 times for his country, plays in a similar position to the Portugal winger.
British media said on Saturday that Valencia would command a fee of about £17 million.
"Things will develop over the next seven to 14 days," added Whelan. "The master, which is (United manager) Sir Alex (Ferguson), he makes his moves when he is ready.
Whelan said he was not desperate to sell Valencia. "If I can keep that lad, I'm going to keep him. He is one brilliant player.
"So there is no pressure on me, or our football club to sell him. If Man United don't want to make a (written) offer, I'll be delighted and we will have him in our team next season."
However, Whelan added he would not stand in Valencia's way if he wanted to move to Old Trafford.
"If Antonio Valencia says to me, 'Chairman, I want to go to Manchester United' and we get the right fee, the deal will be done."
Comment 28 - 47 of 47
Man U should have hard bargained with Madrid and rinsed them out of players that we've wanted before like sneijder and huntelaar as part of the ronaldo deal
Teenbaby 77515 #43 I couldn't agree with you more. SAF has been able to polish gems out of nothing in the past and I'm sure he knows what he is doing. Valencia may not be THE man but who knows. Who knows about Ronaldo before he came to Man United? Some of his signings may not have worked out but in most cases it's because they could not adapt to the English game fast enough. Admittedly it will be tougher to defend the EPL championship next season because the other top three teams are getting stronger last season and will continue to do so this season. ManUnited in transition may still be in the thick of it all come the end of the season. We have to trust SAF. He has done it time and time again. Go ManUnited.
foster
rafeal/johnson ferdinand vidic evra
valencia carrick/hargreaves anderson/scholes silva/robben
rooney benzema/etoo/berbatov
keep the faith fergie knows what hes doing time and time again no player is bigger than the club, no matter what real madrid or barca think united are the ultamite no doubt ronaldo will reget the move and united will be rubbing their hands on the 68 million profit they made on the wee winker, united till idie you watch this space ....
Where is your confidence on the coach! I though he was the best?
He has made the best choice any good coach can do! The player did not wanted to stay, he disagree with the Coach, saying that was a bad setup for the champions league final, and had a bad attitude! This is not good for team cohesiveness. Thus selling Ronalda was the only choice left.
As far as Valencia, he is good, but not as good as Ronalda. I would rank Valencia in the same alley as Tevez. Tevez is not that good, but he’s a fighter. I see Valencia as fighter as well, a player that puts everything in the field. It, might take him a season to get with the team, but you want people that are hard worker and want to be in a team!
This has happened before, and it will happen again. (Becks, Vaan, Cantona, and Ronalda.) The team might not perform well next season, but they will get it together. SFA is one of the best coaches there is in the world, and he still knows what he's doing.
So if he SAF says he wants Valencia, then in his mind he has potential!
Ok, I got two thumbs down for my earlier comments, perhaps I did not explain things too well for those with no technical or tactical knowledge.
Valencia has only ever been at one reasonably big team Villarreal and they loaned him out after two games, last season he played 30 games and scored 3 goals, he has never played in any euro competition, so please do tell me, in what way is he good enough to play for one of the top teams, a team who could not match Barca, even with the 'best player in the world' on their side, and so they sell him and then possibly - the deal has not been done yet - buy a player who has not played for any of the top 30 teams, has played even one game in a Euro competition to replace a £80 million player.
If Utd are going to contiue to be a top team the must replace top players with top players, there are better players than Valencia that utd could easily get.
And by the way I do not think I have more technical or tactical knowledge than Fergie, but as aia questioned earlier is Fergie as wise as he was?
Yohann Pele/ Foster
Johnson Ferdinand/ Eveans Vidic Evra
carrick Anderson/ Melo
Valencia Ribery
Benzema Rooney
no player is bigger than the team he is playing for . fergie has played a blinder selling ronaldo. if he does not want to play for united then get shut . he has not been the player he was last season . 80 mill is enough to buy someone who wants to be at united and play for one of the big club`s in europe . fergie know`s what he is doing , so have some faith in him he will buy someone big , but it will be for the right money . hopefully he will be able to get tevez , i think he is a work horse . i hope we all have a good season cheers regards lancer .
van der sar
o'shea----------- ferdinand/evans-------vidic----------evra
ROBEEN---------carrick-----------scholes--------------r ooney
tevez/E'TO--------------------------berbatov
Fuccccccck nani. the only reason hes playin for us is coz ronaldo was his bum chum. Sell nani. Sign valencia. give anderson til christmas. then sell him if he still can't kick a fucccckin ball in a net. And just spend the 80 mil on booze to celebrate getting rid of nani anderson ronaldo and tevez.
lyndsey-mike- i know things have gone over evaluated in the prem but £300 for nani is going to far.
valencia and tevez permanently. we will still dominate cos all the top foreighners are leaving england. hopefully fifa will investigate spanish football and allow them to field only one government team per competition, as uniteds feeder clubs cant enter europe if united are there only barca or madrid should be able to enter, or there is a conflict of interest?
should sell nani , would probably get £300 for him
vds
rafael rio vidic evra
valencia carrick sneijder robben
rooney eto'o
Whilst Valencia would be a good start, we desperately need at least two athletic, skilful and pacey midfielders and preferably in the six foot range. Our present midfield midgets are far too light-weight and are not good enough.
I am a utd fan, but I am now getting more sure that Fergie is losing the wisdom he has had, going again for another player who has only showed he can be good against the lower teams is a mistake, not that Valencia might not be a good signing, the problem is that we already have enough might make it players, Berbatov, Andersen and Nani are at the top of that list.
We need to buy players who have proved they can be good against the top teams, Barca, Madrid, Inter, Milan, etc, etc.
As I have already said in other articles Utd need to buy players like David Villa and David Silva, Silva is a perfect player to replace Ronaldo, he can play on both sides on the wing and has lots of skills and pace, he has also been loyal to his team and has not been trying to get any team to buy him; both players were involved in Spain winning the Euro 2008, Villa scored the most goals in Euro 2008, more that Torres.
In the end the big question must be, why sell on the best players in the world and then replace him with an average player, average compared to the best players?
i think sir alex must nego with igor akinfeev from cska moscow before other team start to bid this awsome player..
why not rite?
fergie wont be signing benzema or rebary or any other expensive player as valcencia will do the trick on the wing along with a new striker if tevez decides to go and just bringing in a new defender and goalkeeper
i think sir alex need to bu scout matias fernandes he is very good in midfield area and he is very good freekick taker...go and after matias fernandes (villareal)..i hope u all agree with me..
RONALDINHIO
HE WILL SCORE GOALS
WE NEED SOMEONE LIKE HIM AROUND ABOUT (20MILLION)
ALEX WILL SORT HIM OUT GOOD
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