As one Galactico departs Manchester United, another comes in. The signing was unexpected. But you could say, it was a stroke of genius. Here is a proven goalscorer which United desperately needed after losing tow key men and the fact that he was signed on a free transfer. That’s what you call good business.

Right now, it is difficult to find a player which you could compare to Owen. His old-fashioned style of football is rare nowadays, but his specialty of goal poaching is just what United need. Last year, United scored only 68 goals. Maybe, Owen can change that.

For years the Red Devils have been on the look out for a true goalscorer, but have signed the likes of Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov who don’t exactly fall into that category, and are players that you can’t really associate with scoring 25+ goals every season. The departure of Ronaldo and his ability to score goals meant that  a signing such as this was a must. Both different players, but saying that, both do offer something that is a definite requirement in football and that is scoring goals.

“Of course Michael can’t do what Ronaldo does,” says Rob Lee, a former Newcastle United player. “Ronaldo is the best in the world and as close as anyone to being indispensable but in one-on-one situations, Michael is a better finisher. Sir Alex has lost the player who got the bulk of United’s goals, many of them great goals, but he is replacing him with someone capable of scoring once every two games.”

It shouldn’t take too long to adapt. The striker has played at this level before, with Liverpool, so he knows what it’s all about. And he can once again create a partnership with English counterpart Wayne Rooney, who both flourished as a pair for the national team.

The signing could mean better team chemistry from United, making them a team-team after ditching the individual in Ronaldo and it will surely see a more orthodox approach.

Many still sense that the Premier League champions may add to their team, but this particular signing was a stroke of genius from the manager. Get set for a different Manchester United this year…

RE: Readers can now rate any articles or comments as we’ve introduced a new rating feature. Just click on the specified article and scroll to the bottom of the post to vote. Remember, you’re feedback is appreciated!

Michael Owen is now a Manchester United player after the former Liverpool striker was signed on a free transfer. After seeing Newcastle relegated last season, it was obvious that Owen was looking likely to leave St. James’ Park, but it was a shock that he has decided to move to Old Trafford after he was linked to many other clubs.

Earlier today, Owen was seen having a medical at the Bridgewater Hospital. He will join United on a free transfer and signed a two year deal at the club. Owen had been linked with Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke and Hull.

The signing comes after the unveling of Manchester United’s first signing of the year Antonio Valencia, and it was clear that the club had to bring in players in order to fill the void left by both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

After a terrific start to his career, Owen has been plagued by many injuries and therefore has failed to deliver at his devastating best. It seems like manager Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to take a gamble, as Owen continues to struggle with injuries and his form. The transfer may be a breath of fresh air, though, a chance maybe to impress and prove his critics wrong.

So much for United signing under 25’s….

Whether or not Sir Alex Ferguson sees his first signing of the summer Antonio Valencia as a direct replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, the transfer from Wigan was a gamble.

The signing of the midfelder is likely to be around £15m, and it’s difficult to imagine Valencia emulate what Ronaldo acheived at the club, and he won’t emulate him. But even if the signing was a risk, it was a risk worth taking.

Valencia has flourished at Wigan since joining three years ago, particually impressing last season. You could choose to look at his stats, many decide to make judjement on how many goals he has scored (not many), but he simply has more to his game than that. Hard working, quick and a good passer of the ball with terrific vision.

Before he signed for Wigan, manager Paul Jewell was very keen on the Ecuadorian, and his scouts at Wigan were very impressed when they first set their sights on him: “Antonio is something new for Wigan. He has skill in abundance and combines it with electric pace and a high work-rate. I’m convinced he has the attributes to make a success of the Premiership.”

This was all in 2006, and since then he has grown in to a better player. He may be given the task to fill the void left by Ronaldo, and he won’t score you 42 goals, heck, he may not even score four of five goals. But he has more to his game, and that is why it is worth a gamble.

A few days ago, we wrote an article about former United player Kleberson, and what life is like now for the Brazilian. After the success in that article, we thought we’d bring you another one. This time, another player who failed to impress at Old Trafford, the one and only Juan Sebastián Verón.

Here is the player that was seen as the worst signing of all of the Premiership’s history, (or at least the Times newspaper thought so) and could not live up to his expensive price tag £28.1m. At the time, the money spent of the Argentinian was the most ever in English football. Performances from Verón were not good enough, and he ever rarely impressed the Manchester United faithful.

Now plying his trade at his boyhood club Estudiantes, in Argentina, Verón has seen change for the better. Maybe the football is a shade different to what he has experienced here in England, but Verón has been successful with the club helping them succeed in league games and competitions.

Verón helped Estudiantes gain a respectable 7th position in the Primera Division, which features the likes of Boca Juniors and River Plate, and helping them reach the final of the Copa Libertadores, which is similiar to the FA Cup.

But it’s also about the individual sucess. Named as the best player in the Argentine league in 2008 by many fellow players, but his real big acheivement has to be the when he was elected South American Footballer of the Year.  For the club, he has made 30 appearances and has found the net 10 times.

Have Manchester United secured their first signing of the season? Or is this just another story speculated by the media? After months of speculation, People newspaper says that Man Utd have clinched Wigan midfielder Antonio Valencia for £15.25m.

Since the departure of Ronaldo, Valencia has found himself linked to Manchester United for a few months now but it is still unclear that this story is true, considering that a tabloid has broken the news instead of the club.

If Valencia has signed, or is set to sign, he looks a welcome addition as the Ecuadorian midfielder has experienced his best season yet for Wigan, with a number of impressive performances. In total this season, Valencia has scored three goals and created five assists in a total of 31 games with the Latics.

People also claims that United are now setting their sights on capturing Lyon’s Karim Benzema for £40m and winger Alexis Sanchez who plays for Udinese. Whether or not these reports are true, it is sure to settle some nerves as United have lost two of their key men in Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

After four years in the dark, he’s back. Manchester United’s ‘mega flop’ Kleberson has seen his career resurrected since his move away from Old Trafford and in this year Confederations Cup has looked every part a accomplished Brazilian player.

Now at Brazilian club Flamengo, a number of good performances has earned him a recall into Brazil’s team and it’s not hard to see why. Accuracy and vision is a must for any player and he seems to have that. When he came off the bench against Italy, for the little time he did play, it wasn’t a bad game for the player that was so used to playing centre midfield on the United bench.

It wasn’t his actual performance but it was a surprise to see him with the shirt. After he left Man Utd he moved to Besiktas where he again failed to make an impact. As that didn’t work out, he arrived back in Brazil, but played in sevral reserve matches before finally getting some luck. Departures of some of two Flamengo midfielders meant that little Kleberson actually got some proper football. And since then, life is good again for a player who hardly seemd to live up to his £6.5 m paid for him by Manchester United.

(Now we go slightly off topic) The Brazil team on a whole has been terrific. Mouth watering football, playing the game the right way, and it is simply football to admire.

A mix of youth and power, this Brazilian team has everything. Boasting the likes of Kaka and Robinho, they have been devastating defences in the tournament, what with the quick rapid counter attacking and slick passing in which this team possesses.

Or the ever so reliable wall in the centre of midfield, Felipe Melo and Gilberto Silva has forged a great partnership. Teams like Italy have failed to break them down, and ended up losing 3-0 without causing to much panic to the defence.

It seems like their coach Dunga has helped Brazil recover and his mission is to get his side to have the status as the best team in the world. What we have seen of them so far, and with the World Cup next year, who knows?

By Gareth Freeman

According to reports Manchester United are locked in a transfer battle with Real Madrid and Chelsea for Lyon’s in-demand forward Karim Benzema, after Carlos Tevez is set to leave Old Trafford after rejecting a new five year contract. From what I’ve seen of him in the Champions League and in the French league he could certainly cause plenty of problems in the Premier League.

Lyon’s president has admitted there has been an approach for Benzema, but for the moment he claims to have convinced the 21-year-old to stay. Whether this is true or not I don’t really want to guess, his agent might say otherwise.

Personally I think Benzema would be my own preferred choice out of United’s rumoured transfer targets, as good as Franck Ribery is at £60million I’m not sure he is that much better than Benzema whose reported price is closer to the £30million mark. Benzema is the younger of the two players with Ribery five years his senior at 26. His record at Lyon is pretty good, with over 40 goals from just over 100 appearances. He also has a decent record for the French side scoring on average a goal every four games, taking into account that many of these were probably as a substitute. ‘Le Phénomène’ has also beeen the Ligue 1 top goal scorer and player of the year before and he has the credentials to be a success in the Premier League.

People may discount the French league as a weaker league but there is still plenty of quality in France and Ronaldo himself came from the Portuguese league which is arguably a less competitive competition than Ligue 1. Benzema has also stood out in the Champions League, in particular against Manchester United – remember that screamer he scored in the 1-1 draw when he turned four players inside out and hit a low drive right into the bottom corner? For me there isn’t really an issue as to whether he has the quality or not.

The question will remain though as to whether Sir Alex Ferguson can convince him to move to Old Trafford instead of Stamford Bridge or the Santiago Bernabeu. Real have reportedly been loaned around 800 million euros to spend on new players and Chelsea are never short of cash to splash around. When you’re dealing with clubs the size of United, Real and Chelsea it isn’t necessarily all about money though and United could well be the most attractive option.

The loss of Ronaldo will no doubt impact on United’s title challenge but they’re still the favourites in the Premier League betting odds to emerge victorious next year. Ferguson has an outstanding record in the transfer market and he knows a good player (though there is the odd mistake, Eric Djemba Djemba and Kléberson…).

At the moment at least the rumour mill is suggesting that Benzema is Ferguson’s priority at the moment but as we all know the rumours just fly around at the moment and it could be Frank Ribery or Antonio Valencia who Ferguson is targeting and not Benzema. In a bit of weird transfer nonsense you can actually bet on Peter Crouch moving to Old Trafford in the soccer specials betting markets so it shows just how crazy these rumours can get but there does seem to be some credence in the rumours linking Benzema with Old Trafford.

According to reports Manchester United are locked in a transfer battle with Real Madrid and Chelsea for Lyon’s in-demand forward Karim Benzema. I think it is fair to say Benzema isn’t an exact replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo but from what I’ve seen of him in the Champions League and in the French league he could certainly cause plenty of problems in the Premier League.

Lyon’s president has admitted there has been an approach for Benzema, but for the moment he claims to have convinced the 21-year-old to stay.  Whether this is true or not I don’t really want to guess, his agent might say otherwise.

Personally I think Benzema would be my own preferred choice out of United’s rumoured transfer targets, as good as Franck Ribery is at £60million I’m not sure he is that much better than Benzema whose reported price is closer to the £30million mark.  Benzema is the younger of the two players with Ribery five years his senior at 26.  His record at Lyon is pretty good, with over 40 goals from just over 100 appearances.  He also has a decent record for the French side scoring on average a goal every four games, taking into account that many of these were probably as a substitute.  ‘Le Phénomène’ has also beeen the Ligue 1 top goal scorer and player of the year before and he has the credentials to be a success in the Premier League.  People may discount the French league as a weaker league but there is still plenty of quality in France and Ronaldo himself came from the Portuguese league which is arguably a less competitive competition than Ligue 1. Benzema has also stood out in the Champions League, in particular against Manchester United – remember that screamer he scored in the 1-1 draw when he turned four players inside out and hit a low drive right into the bottom corner?  For me there isn’t really an issue as to whether he has the quality or not.

The question will remain though as to whether Sir Alex Ferguson can convince him to move to Old Trafford instead of Stamford Bridge or the Santiago Bernabeu.  Real have reportedly been loaned around 800 million euros to spend on new players and Chelsea are never short of cash to splash around.  When you’re dealing with clubs the size of United, Real and Chelsea it isn’t necessarily all about money though and United could well be the most attractive option.

The loss of Ronaldo will no doubt impact on United’s title challenge but they’re still the favourites in the Premier League betting odds to emerge victorious next year.  Ferguson has an outstanding record in the transfer market and he knows a good player (though there is the odd mistake, Eric Djemba Djemba and Kléberson…).  At the moment at least the rumour mill is suggesting that Benzema is Ferguson’s priority at the moment but as we all know the rumours just fly around at the moment and it could be Ribery, Antonio Valencia or even Carlos Tevez who Ferguson is targeting and not Benzema.  In a bit of weird transfer nonsense you can actually bet on Peter Crouch moving to Old Trafford in the soccer specials betting markets so it shows just how crazy these rumours can get but there does seem to be some credence in the rumours linking Benzema with Old Trafford.

The likely departure of Cristiano Ronaldo is sure to leave a huge gap in the Manchester United team, but that gap can always be filled with the £80m in exchange for Ronaldo. Who will the Red Devils bring in this summer?

Frank Ribery, Bayern Munich: Well, here is a quality winger that may just be able to fill Ronaldo’s boots, but he definitely won’t come cheap. Ribery has an impressive goal record for a midfielder, and is one of the best player in the Bundesliga. Equipped with pace and vision he could be the ideal target. But, then again the German side want nothing less than £60m.

Antonio Valencia, Wigan: Terrific player who United have had their eye on for a very long time. Both Real Madrid and Man Utd were interested, but as Madrid have focused their attention on Ronaldo, it leaves Man Utd to snap up the Ecuadorian for a fee reported of about £16m. Good deal.

Karim Benzema, Lyon: The forward isn’t exactly a replacement for Ronaldo, but with the funds that United may have, Benzema could be one of their summer signings. Has all the right assets to flourish, what with an terrific goalscoring record and ability to terrorise the opposition defence. But the Premier League may prove a different, more difficult kind of football for him.

Carlos Tevez: His future here is doubtful, but the fans will not want to see the back of him. Did not play as much as he wanted to last year, but with Ronaldo’s move to Madrid, he could just find his most successful year in a United shirt.

Who Else?: Players such as Sergio Aguero (Athletico Madrid), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), David Silva (Valencia) have all been linked to the Premier League Champions. There were even reports that Sameul Eto (Barcelona) is a target, while Kyle Naughton of Sheffield United is another potential transfer.

Your View: Who do you think Sir Alex will bring in this summer. Make your views heard by leaving a comment.

It was pretty much surprising that Manchester United ended the season with the second best defence, considering the fact that this was the team that kept 14 consecutive clean sheets. But overall, defensive performances have been impressive and the partnership between Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic is probably the best in the world. Arguably.

A few bad performances here and there, (Liverpool and Fulham spring into mind) but all in all a season to savour for the back four. This year has seen the rise of young full back Rafael da Silva, who has looked impressive at times but his inexperience has shown. While right backs Wes Brown and Gary Neville have missed many games, John O’Shea has deputised well for them.

Vidic has been United’s best player this season, let alone best defender. He won United player of the year deservedly so,  and Man Utd fans will hope he can carry this form come August.

Ferdinand has had a troubled back injury this season, but apart from that has done his job. When he has been absent, young Jonny Evans found a place in the line up. A consistent player that is not afraid to go  into challenges and has a bright future ahead of him. Patrice Evra has has a decent season at left back, but has been significant both defending and going forward.

Rafael da Silva - Ratings: Tackling (6 out of 10), heading (5), composure (6), mentality (7), passing (6).
Overall 29 out of 50

John O’Shea - Ratings: Tackling (8 out of 10), heading (7), composure (7), mentality (7), passing (7).
Overall 36 out of 50

Rio Ferdinand - Ratings: Tackling (9 out of 10), heading (9), composure (7), mentality (7), passing (7).
Overall 39 out of 50

Nemanja Vidic - Ratings: Tackling (9 out of 10), heading (10), composure (8), mentality (7), passing (6).
Overall 40 out of 50

Jonny Evans - Ratings: Tackling (7 out of 10), heading (7), composure (6), mentality (7), passing (6).
Overall 30 out of 50

Patrice Evra - Ratings: Tackling (7 out of 10), heading (7), composure (8), mentality (7), passing (8).
Overall 37 out of 50

No, it hasn’t been the season he had hoped for, but still overall it has been a good season. Criticised for being lazy, Berbatov is nothing like that, but instead if a workman like player who has the ability to link up play, and also be able to succeed create and score goals.

He may have just nine league goals to his name, but when Berbatov arrived at Old Trafford, scoring goals was not his only asset. In fact, after Robin van Persie, the Bulgarian forward has assisted the most goals (10) in the Premier League. He even finished fourth in the overall Actim index (official player rating system of the EPL) with 586 points, with his 652 passes the eighth most in the league.

His main strengths include his work rate, his finishing at times, passing, link up play, skill on and off the ball and tracking back. Berbatov main weakness, may be his composure in front of goal meaning he doesn’t get as much goals as he could have.

Ratings: Workrate (8 out of 10), skill (9), passing (8), finishing (7), speed (6).
Overall 38 out of 50