EVRA SIGNS 2-YEAR DEAL WITH ITALIAN CHAMPIONS
Patrice Evra has left Manchester United to join Italian champions Juventus after eight and a half years at Old Trafford for a fee that may reach £1.5m.
Evra agreed a one year extension to his existing deal only last May and was preparing to challenge new £27m signing Luke Shaw for a place in the team at left back.
Shaw has already been joined by new signing Ander Herrera as United look to inject new talent to replace the experience that has now departed the club. Defenders Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have already departed the club for QPR and Inter Milan respectively.
Squad player Alexander Buttner had already departed Old Trafford for Dynamo Moscow for a deal potentially worth £5.6m following Shaw’s arrival and it’s expected that new United manager Louis Van Gaal will look closely at players to provide a stiff challenge to the former Southampton player.
Daley Blind could be one such player although the versatile Ajax player usually plays as a defensive midfielder and has been targeted by Barcelona manager Luis Enrique.
His manager at Ajax, Frank De Boer, has already admitted that Blind could be sold for the right price and United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has already departed their tour of America within the last day due to ‘general business reasons’.
The Juventus deal is expected to be worth an initial £1.2m with £300,000 to be paid if Juventus qualify for the Champions League in 2015/2016.
The 33 year old French left back made 379 appearances and won five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and Club World Cup since joining in January 2006.
His first game was a 3-1 defeat away at Manchester City in which he was substituted at half time after a torrid time.
Evra said:
“After a great deal of thought I have decided the time is right for me to leave Manchester United.
“It is the biggest decision of my career as this club is, and will always remain, in my heart.”