Manchester United open to Nani offers

Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for Nani despite the Portuguese winger signing a new contract with the club last summer.

David Moyes was instrumental in persuading the 27-year-old to sign a new €96,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford, but is now open to bids for the former Sporting Lisbon star.

The Portugal international has started just four Premier League games this season, however, and has not featured since the defeat against Newcastle in early December, after which he suffered a hamstring injury in training that Moyes revealed would “keep him out for a while”. 

MNE Nigeria understands the player feels he has been harshly treated by his new manager

and, prior to his latest fitness setback, had grown concerned at a lack of playing time, particularly in a World Cup year.

A source says: “The player is aggrieved at how the situation has developed. The new manager convinced him to sign a new deal which he agreed to, even though he was forced to settle for €48,000-a-week less than he was asking for.

“Nani could’ve accepted a far more lucrative offer from abroad in the summer but opted to knuckle down and fight for his place at Old Trafford. His attitude has been spot on in training and he feels aggrieved that he’s not been rewarded with first team opportunities.”

With his contract due to enter its final year this summer Manchester United had been quoting interested parties as little as €9.7 million for a player who had fallen out of favour with Sir Alex Ferguson, but are now asking for around double that following Nani’s decision to pen a five-year extension only four months ago.

Juventus have shown concrete interest in the former Sporting Lisbon star but Goal understands the runaway Serie A leaders are unwilling to match the player’s salary demands.

Moyes, who has been handed a €180m transfer warchest, is determined to reinforce his squad this month with a view to assembling a side capable of maintaining a credible challenge for a top four spot in the Premier League.

The Scot sent a delegation to Madrid earlier this month in an attempt to thrash out a deal for Atletico starlet Koke and has stepped up his interest in Benfica centre-half Ezequiel Garay.