Last night, Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic confirmed he would not be extending his current deal which expires this summer making him a free agent. The centre back has decided to call time on his career in England and wants to move abroad saying: "I want to challenge myself again."
Vidic has spent 8 years at Manchester United since arriving from Spartak Moscow in 2006. Reflecting on his time at the Red Devils, Vidic said: "I never could have imagined winning 15 trophies and I will certainly never forget that fantastic night in Moscow, memories that will live with me and the fans forever."
What now for Vidic? The Serbian international has said he will continue to give his all for Manchester United, but also claims to have options available already. Reported interest comes from big spending Monaco, who can afford his wages and already have taken other veteran defenders on in the past such as Ricardo Carvalho and Eric Abidal. However, Monaco will not be the only team looking at the centre back, with Inter Milan also interested according to many papers. Vidic would be the first to admit he is not the player he once was and if he can avoid injury he would be a good fit for Serie A due to the slow tempo of the game in Italy and Vidic's ability to read the game. A dark horse who could well sign the veteran defender is Barcelona, who are lacking squad depth in the centre back role and Vidic would offer suitable cover.
However, Vidic confessing he intends to leave at the end of the season could not come at a worse time for manager David Moyes. At a time where Moyes is already under heavy pressure to succeed, when a club captain decides to leave it can only reflect badly on a club. The media are likely to distort this as the start of a summer exodus with Evra out of contract in the summer and Rooney constantly linked with a move away. Manchester United have already been heavily criticised by the media for their poor form and current Premier League position. Arguably this is a product of the transitional period Manchester United are going through as they look to move on from the Sir Alex Ferguson reign. Although, Vidic's decision to leave the club during Moyes' first year in charge does beg the question - would Vidic still decide to leave if Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge?
Vidic's announcement is likely to break the hearts of many Manchester United fans, as not only do they lose a club captain but a legend, a cult hero and a loyal servant to the club who had embraced all the values the club tries to ingrain into players. Vidic is a role model for many and during difficult times at the club he was someone players could go to. But many neutral observers will wonder if his decision to leave the club is due to the current form and what many media outlets are reporting has gone on within the club. Could this be the first of many high profile departures from Manchester United?
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