Rafael van der Vaart and Manchester United… Sitting in a Tree…

Perhaps that little bit of schoolyard mockery doesn’t quite do the Rafael van der Vaart/Manchester United situation justice (since it’s only the former who’s overtly pursuing the latter). Nevertheless, the Dutch midfielder seems to be slightly enamored with the Old Trafford club… From Soccernet:

“I could never play for another club in Spain and the truth is that if you are leaving Real Madrid, there is only one club you can join that is not a step down – and that’s Manchester United… They are a huge club and if the reported interest they have in me turns out to be true, then I would really have to sit down and listen.

If Manchester United could offer me first-team football with the situation as it is at Madrid, it would be very hard to turn down. Alex Ferguson is a great coach and I would never think about joining a team where I didn’t believe I could win things, so all of a sudden that limits your choices.

At Manchester United you know success is likely and that’s a big factor for me at this stage of my career. If Jose Mourinho makes it clear I won’t play much, I see my future in English football.”

I wish I could come up with something clever to say, but The Guardian’s Barry Glendenning beat me to it, writing, “…he [vdv] said, presumably after studying the Chelsea, Inter, and Manchester City’s squad lists and realizing there was no obviously him-shaped holes in their already ridiculously overstaffed midfields.”

I’m not really sure how I feel about this rumor. I mean, firstly, it’s just a rumor… So I doubt anything will ever come of it. Secondly, VDV isn’t exactly loved the world over. I was pretty happy that United passed on Balotelli, since he may prove the head case to end all head cases. VDV may not be on that level, but he’s had personal problems in the past and run-ins with teammates. Plus, with no preseason, he wouldn’t have an opportunity to gel and, rather, would be thrown into the deep end and would be expected to keep afloat. On the other hand, he would bring this with him… and she’s apparently number one!

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Category: Manchester United