Manchester United linked with move for Samir Nasri

The second greatest living Frenchman, Patrice Evra, is coming back to England. Patrice Evra is on the verge of joining West Ham on a free transfer. At 36, it would only be a short term move, and it would require UEFA to give Evra special dispensation as he is banned. The ban came when he heroically kicked a Marseille supporter and gobshite. Evra almost rejoined United in the winter transfer last year but a so-far anonymous figure blocked the move.

There’s a story here in The Telegraph that after the Munich disaster, Real Madrid made the offer to loan Alfredo di Stefano to the club for the rest of the season. The English authorities stepped in to prevent such a thing going in, because he wasn’t a British player. Thank God that at least the English aren’t still a bunch of mean spirited, petty, interfering and nasty bunch anymore!

There are a few free transfers knocking about now, players that could be registered outside the transfer window. The Mirror has a list of the 10 most interesting who are available here. The only one who might be of vague interest to United, who could do a job in midfield, given the paucity of options we currently have. Having said that, if he was any good then Manchester City wouldn’t have let him go.

Thibaut Courtois has said that he isn’t planning on leaving Chelsea, but that he would be open to a move to Real Madrid, in order to move to the city where his children live. That’s good news for United as a motivated Courtois would perhaps be an easier signing for Real than trying to get at David de Gea again.

Some good news for Manchester United’s European ambitions: the Premier League might be bringing in a winter break, something that should ease the winter strain, and get rid of the fatigue that puts the clubs at a disadvantage in Europe.