UNITED CLOSE TO STRIKING NEUER DEAL
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Ben Foster’s Manchester United prospects hit by rumours of renewed bid for Schalke's Manuel Neuer
Under pressure: Foster's position as Van der Sar's successor is under threat
Name: Manuel Neuer
　
Date of birth: 27 March 1986 (age 23)
Height: 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Current club: Schalke 04
German international Manuel Neuer looks increasingly likely to be the true successor to Edwin van der Sar at Manchester United, with a renewed bid for the Schalke goalkeeper expected next summer, but possibly as soon as January to head off interest from Bayern Munich.
United’s scouts have been trailing Neuer all season at the Veltins Arena and the Bundesliga side are now expecting to lose him and are holding out for £15million.
United are likely to offer about £12m, which would still be a British record for a goalkeeper. Sources at Schalke say United have already made one bid, last summer, which was rebuffed.
CSKA Moscow’s Russia No1 Igor Akinfeev, 23, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Rene Adler, 24, the current No1 in the German national team, have also been checked out, but Neuer has attracted the strongest interest.
What is clear is that Ben Foster will not be trusted to step into Van der Sar’s shoes next season.
Neuer, 23, is familiar to England fans after starring in Germany’s European Under-21 final victory last June and is a cult figure at Schalke, having grown up in the club’s home city of Gelsenkirchen and been a fan of the team all his life.
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How I wish fergie make a bid for Buffon. if this fellow comes, I also dun mind. if he doesnt perform, out he goes, as simple as that, just ask barthez, howard and carroll and taibi lol. as for foster, its plain to see he isnt suited to play for a club like united. he will do well for a mid table team like fulham, sunderland or west ham. his kicking is still a suspect, especially his right kicking, which is non existent really. really reminds me of Bosnick kicking when he was at united for 1 season only.
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Trade Forster for Neuer.
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neuer looks good in my CM
and then there was oscar ustari not too long ago. Never heard of him attracting interest from top clubs though. -
Manchester United Boss Alex Ferguson Rules Out Ben Foster Loan Deal
England keeper not set for temporary Old Trafford exit...
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he has no plans to send goalkeeper Ben Foster out on loan again this season.
The player has spent useful spells at Watford in the past, and has lost his place in the first team at United now that Edwin van der Sar has returned to action.
Foster will not be departing the club in January though.
"Ben was always going to lose his place when Edwin Van der Sar came back," Ferguson explained to The News of the World.
"You don't dismiss the quality and experience of Van der Sar. You couldn't even say he is declining - he is at his peak. He is phenomenal. He really is top dog.
"He is in training every day. He doesn't miss a session. Plus he has that calmness about him. He never gets excited about what is happening round about him. There are not many in England you can compare him with.
"The future belongs to Ben of course. Tomasz Kuszczak is a good keeper too so we are quite strong. But Ben will not be allowed out on loan in January. No way."
Van der Sar's contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, but the player himself will be allowed to choose when he retires, according to his club boss.
"He makes his own decisions about that. There is no point me trying to persuade a man of 38 that he can carry on or should finish," Ferguson added.
"He is a great professional and a sensible man. He has his own thoughts on what he wants to do, how long he wants to go on for and what his future is.
"He just comes to me once a year and says he wants another contract and we'll stick with that." -
Foster blew his chances to take over from VDS with his erratic performance during his absence. it just goes to show once and for all, he is not suitable to take over VDS. he is not world class type.
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MANCHESTER UNITED are close to striking a deal to sign Schalke 04 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer next summer.
The German has been on Sir Alex Ferguson's radar for more than a year and United believe they will land their top target for next season.
Schalke are demanding around £10million for their young star, but United are prepared to pay that price.
The anticipated arrival of Neuer will place serious question marks over the future of England's World Cup hopeful Ben Foster and current No2 Tomas Kuszczak.
Foster is regularly acclaimed as England's top goalkeeper by United boss Ferguson, but has recently been displaced as Edwin Van der Sar's under-study by Kuszczak.
Foster has insisted he is determined to fight his way back into Ferguson's thoughts, while Polish international Kuszczak, who has been terrific for United whenever he has been called upon this season, will be devastated if Neuer signs and is sure to seek pastures new.
Ferguson has had troubles with goalkeepers in the past.
He may have signed the likes of Peter Schmiechel, Fabian Barthez and Van der Sar, but other goalkeepers have been less than successful.
Keepers like Mark Bosnich, Jim Leighton, Massimo Taibi and Roy Carroll arrived with great expectations but quickly departed Old Trafford with tarnished reputations.
Current United No1 Van der Sar is due for talks with Ferguson this month to discuss his future role at the club.
The Dutch international has made just seven appearances for United this season and Ferguson is quite rightly already looking to the long-term future of the club.
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Young Freiburg keeper Michael Langer, 24, has already been on trial at Carrington and United are weighing up a separate move for the young Austrian.
At just over 6ft 4ins Langer fits the bill for the stature of a modern-day keeper, but United have yet to make a decision on him.
Instead they are confident of landing Neuer after next summer's World Cup as Ferguson continues with plans to re-shape his team.
Neuer is regarded is the best young keeper in Germany and is ready for the move to one of the world's biggest clubs.
The 23-year-old is battling it out with Rene Adler for the right to be Germany's first choice keeper at next summer's World Cup in South Africa.
He was voted the best keeper in the Bundesliga in 2007 and has recently stepped up to the German senior side ahead of the World Cup.
Neuer made his debut for his country in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates in the summer and made his second appearance against Ivory Coast last month.
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My dua sen.... groom Kuszczak to be the new No.1, push Foster up to No.2, and buy a new No.3.
As the article rightly pointed out, Kuszczak plays well whenever he is called upon to play. All he needs is some more experience to iron out his rawness.
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Kuszczak did well during VDS absence, but in my opinion, he is not a world class goalie like VDS or Buffon. as for foster, he is also not a top goalie, just an average goalie with bad kicking.
at united, you need a top goalie to win trophies. among the top 4 goalies, arsenal almunia looks the weakest among them. imagine a lesser goalie than peter schmeical in 1999 against bayern, would have let bayern score a few goals. it was peter single handedly that stop bayern from winning the champions league in 1999.
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Should bid for both Igor Akinfeev and Manuel Neuer. Sell both Foster and Kuszczak. Let Van der Sar retire. PromoteRon Robert Zieler or Ben Amos as 3rd-choice.
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Stick with PIG, sell Foster. Promote Ben Amos. Give VDS a coaching role.
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when you have a goalkeeper conceding a goal from another goalkeeper, you know he isnt right to play for a world class team
