Manchester United rule out signing Rafael van der Vaart
Manchester United have ruled out making any moves for Real Madrid’s attacking midfielder Rafael van der Vaart this summer, but several other clubs are reportedly ready to bid for the Dutch international.
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, the English Premier League club’s boss Sir Alex Ferguson will not be recruiting any more players after revealing, “All our positions are covered and our squad is complete.”
With new Madrid boss Jose Mourinho bringing in several high-profile midfielders, such as 2010 FIFA World Cup star Mesut Ozil, the club has revealed that they are looking to move some players on. Van der Vaart had been widely believed to be one of those set to be sold on, but the 27 year-old is ready to fight for his place at the Bernabeu.
No proof player will leave Bernabeu
The player’s representative, Robert Geerling, told reporters that there was no proof that Van der Vaart would be leaving the La Liga giants this summer, but there was widespread interest in the midfielder. He said, "Nobody at Real Madrid has said that Rafael has to go. Last year the competition for places was similar and he ended up being first choice and he looks strong enough to repeat history. There are many teams interested in Rafael — what remains to be seen is whether they can convince him to leave the Bernabeu."
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has a strong interest in the player — who featured in the World Cup Final in South Africa — while Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and several other clubs throughout Europe, are keen to recruit his services.
Van der Vaart has been with Madrid for two seasons and has scored 12 goals in 70 appearances across all competitions. He has also won the Supercopa de Espana with the club. Van der Vaart won two league titles in his six seasons with Ajax in his homeland, as well as the Dutch Cup. Clearly, he is an asset to any team and Real Madrid is lucky to have him.
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