Nemanja Vidic has confirmed that he will leave Manchester United at the end of the current Barclays Premier League campaign.
The 32-year old Serbian defender’s contract expires in the summer after a trophy laden Old Trafford career which started in 2006 after signing for £7m from Spartak Moscow on Christmas Day 2005.
Vidic captained United to a historic 20th title under Sir Alex Ferguson last season – his fifth and the final one under Sir Alex Ferguson.
He said: “It’s the last year of my contract and I have had eight wonderful years here. My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career.
“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. However, I have decided that I will move on at the end of this season. I want to challenge myself again and try to make the best of myself in the coming years.
“I’m not considering staying in England as the only club I ever wanted to play for here is Manchester United and I was lucky enough to be part of this club for so many years. I’ve got a few options to move on and I will choose the right one for me and for my family.
“I am now going to focus all my efforts on playing for Manchester United and do the best I can for the team until the end of the season. I hope this stops any further speculation about my future.”
A number of European clubs are now expected to lead the chase for Vidic’s signature as he is in a position to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs such as Inter Milan, Juventus, Monaco and Galatasaray mentioned.