Big changes coming to Man United this summer. Expect a significant overhaul in the defense of the reigning Premier League champions, who almost certainly won’t be defending champions anymore when the time comes. You already know that Nemanja Vidic has confirmed his exit from Man United.
Here’s who else is likely leaving Old Trafford.
Ryan Giggs, member of the immortal Class of ’92, is set to retire. There’s a lot of speculation about Javier Hernandez and Shinji Kagawa. It’s thought that both are unhappy under David Moyes. It’s hard to say at this point whether or not Chicharito and Kagawa will remain, but if I had to say, I’d say both could be out the door. Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand are likely to follow Vidic to a club other than Man United.
Despite all the turnover, Moyes has said he’s fairly confident in his rebuilding plan.
“We’ve actually got Jonny Evans, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling. Three really good centre-halves. They’ll be the future of the club, the ones we look to, within the building.
“I’m hoping the young ones, who we’ve already given games to, will step up to the plate. I hope they will become young centre-halves who can be here for the next five or six years. That’s the idea.
“There are people coming out of contract at any club, but we’ll keep it private and tell you at the right time.”
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on news talk radio; with regular segments on ESPN,NBC, CBS and Fox. A former NBC Chicago and Washington Times writer, he’s also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)