Simon Kjaer - He'd Look Crap In Blue

As you will know, I don’t tend to write much about transfer speculation on this site because, let’s face it, if I did, I would be sat here all day typing stuff that would turn out to be 99% rubbish when I try to aim for just 90% rubbish

However, with Vidic’s agent playing “being an agent” and suggesting that Vidic doesn’t know if his future is at Manchester United, I decided to write on this one.

Incidentally, and call me old fashioned, but when you sign a contract that expires three or four years hence, isn’t that exactly what your future is unless you’re told otherwise? Yes, I’m quite aware that this is naive and that four year contracts are, in reality, just two or three year contract with room for negotiation at the end to prevent a Bosman but I just find it an arrogant stance to actually say during a contract that your “client” hasn’t told you what he wants to do.

Anyway, look, already off on a tangent and I haven’t even started.

The point of all this is that if Vidic is going to go, we will be a bit light in defence and if the last season proved anything it is that you can never have too many defenders.

We have already purchased Smalling but it is generally agreed that whilst his rise to the top has been rapid and eyecatching, he remains one for the future at the moment.

Jonny Evans has done a brilliant job over the last couple of seasons but even he looked like he was suffering under the pressure in the third quarter of the season and needed a rest before coming back to his best again.

Rio Ferdinand is now one big question mark due to his fitness.

We do have old faithfuls like Brown and O’Shea who can do a job in the centre of defence if an experienced head is required but I still do think that if Vidic goes and Rio is on his way out or only able to play 10-15 games a season then an older, more experienced central defender of proven quality is what we need.

However, if reports are anything to go by, Fergie is lining up a move for 21 year old Palermo defender Simon Kjaer.

At a price likely to be around £12 Million it seems a decent price for the highly rated young player.

The waters are muddied somewhat, however, by speculation that Manchester City are also in the hunt. If this is true then that £12 Million-ish valuation could end up being £25 Million and whilst I have no doubts that his future would be better served playing for the Red side of Manchester, money talks and the noisy neighbours have louder money than anyone else.

From what I can gather, Kjaer himself has no particular leaning towards either ourselves or City (I believe he is a Liverpool fan if anything) and so we have no edge on that score.

Fergie knows that he cannot get into a bidding war with City and if it looks likely that that is how it will turn out, I can see him turning his attentions elsewhere.

Kjaer himself might prefer to go to the Club that can offer him Champions League football and a genuine chance of winning trophies next season but Palermo will want the best price possible for one of their crown jewels.

It might all be pie in the sky media speculation but I believe that there is substance to this story due to our own defensive situation and it is going to be interesting to see how it unfolds.

In the meantime, you can catch Kjaer in the World Cup when Denmark take on Holland next Monday.