Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Monaco defender Patrice Evra will undergo a medical on Monday prior to joining Manchester United. Ferguson said the France international left-back, 24, would definitely be moving to Old Trafford, with the fee reported to be around £5.5m.
Ferguson said:
“The deal is done, he will come in Monday. We have been looking at him for some time since Gabriel Heinze was injured in September.”
Manchester United chief executive David Gill was in France on Thursday night to complete the final formalities of the deal for Evra, who has been in dispute with Monaco. Evra had made it clear he wished to leave in the January transfer window.
Inter Milan also wanted to sign the defender, but had a £3.5m offer rejected by Monaco. Ferguson sees Evra as a solution to his problems at left-back following Gabriel Heinze‘s long-term injury. John O’Shea has been filling the role but United have continued to leak soft goals, a failing which has seen them slip 13 points behind Chelsea at the top of the Premiership.
He will be the second signing Ferguson has made in the transfer window following the arrival of central defender Nemanja Vidic, after Man United had brought in Ji Sung-Park and Van Der Sar in the summer. One ironic part of this probable transfer was that both Park and Evra shot to relative fame in Europe during last season’s Champions League and that they had a classic match-up in the match between PSV and Monaco, where Park was by all intent and purposes the declared winner by knockout?
It’s also hoped that SAF and the Glazers have still got enough left in the kitty to strengthen our central midfield…..!!