Manchester United winger Luis Nani is expected to seal a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce in the next few days, according to various reports. The Portuguese international is travelling to Turkey on Friday to finalise a deal with Fenerbahce, in a switch that is rumoured to cost around £7m.
New start?
The winger has found it hard to settle at Old Trafford since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 for €25.5 million, and will look back on his time in Manchester as a missed opportunity. The price was very steep for a 20-year old with no experience in an elite league and big things were expected, with Sir Alex Ferguson later commenting, "With Nani we were buying pure raw material.” However, despite his label as the next Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani has struggled to put together a prolonged run of form, with strong performances coming only sporadically rather than consistently.
At the age of 28, Nani should currently be reaching the peak of his career, but instead his years of stagnation at United seems to have prevented him from fulfilling his true potential. A strong season back at Sporting Lisbon in 2014/15, with an impressive 12 goals in 35 appearances and a Portuguese Cup to his name, will be scant consolation for failing to truly make it in the Premier League. The technical ability is very much evident to see, but his decision making and defensive work rate have remained questionable during his time at Old Trafford, with little signs of improvement. As a result, Nani was deemed surplus to requirements by both David Moyes and Louis van Gaal after Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Fresh Future?
The highlights of Nani’s career in England include four Premier League titles and a Champions League winner’s medal, where the Portuguese winger scored the vital 5th penalty in the shootout against Chelsea in the final to keep United in the tie. John Terry went on to miss the next spot kick, before Edwin van der Sar eventually became United’s hero, saving Chelsea’s 7th penalty from Nicolas Anelka and sealing the European crown for the Red Devils. Nani was also included in the 2010/11 PFA Team of the Year.
