Just when Sir Alex Ferguson thought his defensive crisis was coming to an end, issues with centre-back Nemanja Vidic are threatening to plunge Manchester United back into dangerous waters.
 
Reports suggested there was a dispute between Vidic and Ferguson prior to the FA Cup tie against Leeds United and the situation has hotted up with Real Madrid and Barcelona wasting no time in declaring their interest in the highly-rated Serb. The January transfer window is now open and, though the player’s representative has attempted to clear the air, the Old Trafford club are facing the possibility that Vidic will seek a move to Spain.
 
The saga is complicated further as the Serb’s wife is rumoured to be unhappy in Manchester and sunnier climes would be a major attraction. It all suggests that the lure of La Liga might prize another of Man Utd’s biggest stars away from the club and add to the pain of watching Cristiano Ronaldo walk away last summer.
 
Make no mistake about it, Ferguson cannot afford to lose Vidic. As things stand, a nerve problem will keep the Serb out for ten days and United fans will hope the injury puts a stop to the rumours circulating about the defender exiting Old Trafford. It seems likely to be a short spell on the sidelines but one the champions could do without as they enter a critical phase in the title race and a difficult afternoon at St Andrew’s against Birmingham at the weekend illustrated why the centre-back will be sorely missed.
 
With Rio Ferdinand still some way from a return to full fitness, Vidic’s availability has been crucial over the past few months during the defensive injury crisis. His ability to dominate aerially in the penalty area and his strength in the tackle have compensated for injuries to others while his calming presence has benefited a defence that has been changing dramatically from week to week.

After all, one of the major reasons why United closed the gap on Chelsea from 2006 onwards was the addition of Vidic and Patrice Evra to give the back four a makeover. Evra, arguably the club’s best player this season, provided pace and attacking thrust from left-back while Vidic was the rock that Ferguson had been chasing for years. It was tougher for physical teams to get the better of Man Utd with the Serb getting his head on every cross and he certainly made Ferdinand a more complete player too as they became Europe’s best central defensive pairing. The results proved it as the Red Devils bounced back in style to win three straight Premier League titles and lift the Champions League trophy in 2008.
 
Therefore, from United’s point of view, even a hefty transfer fee – the figure of £30M has been thrown around thus far – would not make selling Vidic a profitable long term move. It would be a handsome pay day but where could Ferguson find an adequate replacement? The club have been linked with bids for quality strikers like Valencia’s David Villa and Porto’s Hulk but off-loading a world class defender is not the way to finance such deals, especially when underwhelming duo Dimitar Berbatov and Nani could be shipped out instead.
 
Yes, Vidic has had the odd horror game – see last season’s 4-1 humiliation at home to Liverpool or perhaps even the Champions League final – but he has produced a countless number of match-winning displays too and he remains integral to United’s push for major prizes. Admittedly, in a purely financial sense, this would probably be the most lucrative time to sell the defender but without the Serb there is no way that the champions can retain the title or triumph in Europe.
 
The feeling remains, though, that common sense will rule the day. Ferguson is a shrewd manager and he would not have dominated English football over the past two decades without understanding the value of each and every player. He knows that Vidic is a vital cog in the Manchester United machine, he knows the team cannot compete at the same level without him and he knows that no amount of money could buy a better replacement. From the defender’s viewpoint, he is a firm fan favourite at Old Trafford and he has won a bagful of trophies at Man Utd. There is every reason to think that more will follow.
 
Things might be rocky at present but Ferguson must prevent the problem from lingering. Vidic is an indispensible member of the squad and United would be a vastly weaker side without him. This time, the La Liga giants must be denied.

 

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