Arsenal 'target' Nani will not be sold in January insists Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager also denies reports that Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski is set to join

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Nani will not be sold in January with talks over a new deal for the winger at Manchester United ongoing.

The Portuguese international is currently out injured yet his chances when fit have become increasingly limited with Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia the preferred choices out wide.

As such the 26-year-old has been linked with with a move to north London duo Arsenal and Tottenham in the January window.

However, Ferguson has denied the rumours and insists Nani has a future at Old Trafford.

"He's injured," Ferguson told manutd.com. "His contract's not up for a year and a half. Yes, absolutely [he has a future at the club]. Why would I want to let him go? Obviously his people have been negotiating with [chief executive] David [Gill] about a new contract but I don't know what stage we are at with that. But we won't be letting him go.

"We need a Nani. He offers something different from the other players. He's an incredible talent, the boy's a great talent. Unfortunately, he's injured at the moment so we sent him over to Dubai for a break and hoping a bit of warmth will help him in his recovery. He's not far away but he's far enough away. I don't think I'll get him back until probably the middle of January.

"It's a hamstring injury he's got. A player like Nani has never had a hamstring injury ever – I don't think he's ever had many injuries with us. But he's got it right in the top and it's a bad one."

Ferguson has also quashed speculation linking Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski with a move to Manchester United, calling talk of a deal: "Nonsense. Absolute nonsense."

 "I am not looking to do any serious transfer business in January," he said.

"I don't have to because I am more than satisfied with the players I have in my squad, a group as good as any I have had in my time at Old Trafford.

"If you believed everything you read in the media, we would have the biggest squad in Europe, not to mention becoming bankrupt!

 "It's been open season to link us with a stack of players, admittedly some very good ones, but it just isn't going to happen.

"Clearly serious injuries can upset your plans and force you to go out for a replacement but, by and large, I think we are well covered to cope with the normal absence of players."

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: A tight game between Northampton and Bradford

A tight game could be in prospect here. Northampton have been keeping things very tight of late and ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: Feeling ill and racing in the rain must be pretty grim

I can’t ever watch games of football or rugby without wistfully wondering what it must be like to be...

by Martin Ayres

PSG and the French league must be more proactive in dealing with hooliganism

Since PSG’s exit to Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League quarter-final in April, PSG have been sur...

by Matthew Riding

       

Day In a Page

'There is a battle going on inside us that is never discussed'

Masculinity in crisis?

'There is a battle going on inside us that is never discussed'
Have US shock jocks gone too far?

Have US shock jocks gone too far?

An incendiary remark from Rush Limbaugh may be the beginning of the end for outspoken right-wing US broadcasters
The ‘Beverly Hills’ of Surrey pays more income tax than big cities of the North

The ‘Beverly Hills’ of Surrey

Elmbridge pays more income tax than big cities of the North
Heavenly Bodies

Heavenly Bodies

Michael Landy's artistic marriage made in heaven... and hell
'He will always be a friend': Jackie Stewart backs Polanski

'He will always be a friend'

Jackie Stewart backs Roman Polanski
The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

The price of pacifism

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
The experts' guide to summer: From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz

The experts' guide to summer

From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz
Sex, drugs and fast cars: The legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

Early glimpses of Ron Howard's film Rush suggest it will portray Hunt as a high-living lothario, with an insatiable appetite for partying.
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It was hurting my life'

Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'

The next Vanilla Ice or the next Eminem? Macklemore doesn't have a record contract – but he does have the UK's biggest-selling single of the year.
Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

Sri Lankan cuisine is light, sunny, wonderfully spiced – and so easy to cook from scratch. Just as soon as you've broken into the coconut, that is.
Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in