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| Young's arrival could see Nani depart. |
Once both clubs had raided the pool of youth, both stepped up their plans to bring one of the senior squads promising talents to their respective clubs. Much hype has surrounded Young for months now but his first international goal against Denmark back in February really saw interest in his signature begin to gain momentum.
And after Aston Villa's less-than-excellent season, with Young and the much sought after Stewart Downing (whoever thought I would say that) performing admirably at Villa Park, it was inevitable that the 25-year-old would leave for pastures new in the off season.
However, despite reported fee being agreed weeks ago, all fell quiet on the Young front with many papers suggesting United had opted to sneak, reportedly, Barcelona bound Alexis Sanchez right from under the noses of bitter rivals Manchester City. Yet with Sanchez wanting no part of the City rise to prominence and caring more about a move to Barcelona (can you blame him?), United completed the protracted deal for Young who signed a five-year deal with the club.
Yet, you have to ask where the move will leave the likes of Park Ji-Sung, Antonio Valencia and Nani. Nani was instrumental in United's success last season chipping in with 18 assists and 9 goals yet was dropped in favour of Valencia towards the end of the season. Granted, Valencia's performances helped drag United over the finish line but you can't argue with Nani's stats.
However, Young's arrival will do little to convince the Portuguese international that his future lies with United. With the former Villa man arriving, I believe it is Nani who will come off worse from the entire saga. Dropped in favour of Valencia, the 24-year-old will find first-team chances hard to come by following the arrival of Young.
It is a shame for Nani, he was beginning to make his mark on the Premiership and some feel that he would have made a bigger impact in the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona than his Ecuadorian team-mate who failed to get the better of the excellent Eric Abidal.
Yet, the arrival of Young could galvanise Nani in to improving his performances and cutting out some of the show-boating that saw his initial start at Old Trafford hindered. The fewer tricks he attempts to perform, and the simpler he keeps his game, the better he has looked. This is the reason why Sir Alex Ferguson prefers Valencia and will prefer Young on the wings. They do what a winger should do, head-down, run at the full-backs, get the ball in the box while chipping in with the odd-goal.
But with first-team assurances high on Nani's agenda, it may be too late for Ferguson to assure the diminutive winger that his future indeed lies at Old Trafford. Young's arrival will do little but hinder his confidence and Nani may well be finding himself heading through the exit door over the coming months.
And no, I have not forgot about the unstoppable South Korean machine, Park. The 30-year-old has become somewhat of a cult hero with United and it's easy to see why. Hard working, runs himself into the ground and capable of turning in the highest performances in the bigger games, it will be hard to see Park leave as a result of Young arriving. Rarely usurping the starting wingers in the smaller games, Park is a big-game player who works best when stalwart Ryan Giggs starts in the important matches.
As far as the South Korean is concerned, it could be one out, one in. Valencia has also welcomed Young's arrival but Nani will probably view the England international as a direct threat to his position and may not like the idea of playing second or even third fiddle to a newcomer. Therefore, I believe it will be Nani who will suffer the most out of Young's arrival. I can see his impending departure now speeding up as a direct result and, for many football fans, it will United's loss and another teams gain.
Anyway, I got to. But don't forget to follow me on Twitter here.
Laters,
Macca.
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