Eden Hazard: weighs up offers

Eden Hazard will delay making a decision on his future until after Belgium's friendly against England at Wembley next week, but his agent claims that he has agreed terms with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Hazard revealed last week he would be playing in Manchester next season, although he did not disclose whether that would be in red or blue, but has subsequently admitted his interest in Chelsea following their Champions League win on Saturday.

Hazard's agent, John Bico, says terms have been agreed with all three Premier League clubs, and it is just a matter of the 21-year-old deciding which club to join.

"We are no longer in the negotiations stage," Bico was quoted as saying the the Daily Telegraph. "We have reached agreement with all parties. There will be no higher bid.

"Eden has already said he wants it to be fixed before June 2. He will decide after [Belgium's] games against Montenegro and England, then go on holiday with peace of mind.

"Eden is in the reflections stage and a decision will be taken quickly. Those who have come forward have a one-in-three chance."

*Taken from Soccernet.com
*For Eden Hazard's biodata, click here.

Dimitar Berbatov: opens to PSG move

Dimitar Berbatov's agent has invited Paris Saint Germain to firm up their interest in the Manchester United forward.

Berbatov is likely to move on from Old Trafford this summer, after slipping down the pecking order a season after scooping the Premier League's golden boot.

Big spending PSG were linked with Berbatov in January and although the trail has gone cold in recent months, the Bulgarian would appear open to the prospect of a move to the French capital.

"In the press, there are many speculations regarding Dimitar," Berbatov's agent Emil Danchev told RMC. "But the truth is, that PSG's project can really interest him because he wants to play the Champions League next year.

"Plus, there has never been a Bulgarian player at PSG, so it could be good."

*Taken from Soccernet.com

Michael Owen: United allow Owen to depart

Michael Owen has confirmed on his Twitter account that he will not be offered a new contract at Manchester United.

Owen, 32, moved to Old Trafford on a free transfer from Newcastle United in 2009, signing a two-year deal.

Despite a succession of injury problems, he signed a one-year extension in 2011, but he has managed just one game in the Premier League this season.

On Thursday, he confirmed that his time at the club was over. "The Manager informed me after our testimonial match on Tuesday that the club would not be offering me a new contract," he tweeted.

"I have loved every minute of the 3 years I have spent at such a fantastic club. I would like to thank the players, staff and fans for their support and wish them well for the future."

Owen, who reiterated in April that he "wouldn't drop out of the Premier League", added on Twitter: "I now plan to have a short holiday during which I will contemplate my next move."

He later confirmed to Sky Sports News that he would not retire following his release. "At 32, I definitely owe it to myself to have two or three years and play a bit more - but for somebody else," he said.

On his likely destination, he added: "I don't think the Championship would be an option if I am totally honest. I don't feel I have lost the ability to score goals or play at a high level. I have been playing and training with top players all my life and that was one of the attractions in going to Man Utd.

"We will wait to see where that is. If it is not the Premier League then I may look farther afield. I don't think I will be dropping into the Championship."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told the club's official website: "It is a pleasure to have had Michael at Manchester United.

"Michael is a consummate professional and was an influential figure in our dressing room. Unfortunately he had no luck with his injury this season.

"Michael's record of goals per game is exceptional and we wish him all the best for the future.''

*Taken from Soccernet.com

Manchester United’s 2012/13 home kit: Gingham print inspired

Manchester United’s new 2012/13 home kit blends cutting-edge technology with a design inspired by the club’s rich history and close bond with the heritage of Manchester.

This relationship is represented by the striking gingham print which runs through the shirt – a tribute to the world-famous fabric that powered Manchester’s growth from a small market town to a global centre of cotton textiles. Its iconic checked pattern remains an enduring symbol of the city’s culture today.

United itself was forged by industry: it was founded by local railway workers as a focal point for the community in the industrial era. The new design pays homage to the role that working-class values such as respect, hard work and responsibility have played in building a club defined by glory. The new kit truly is 'Made of Manchester'.

Now a powerhouse of world football, the club remains forever intertwined with its local roots. A motto on the inside of the shirt’s collar, 'Forged in Industry,Striving for Glory', reminds the players to uphold this tradition every time they step out on to the pitch.

Manchester-born and raised striker Danny Welbeck said: "As players we’re honoured to pull on the Manchester United shirt. It’s a huge club that means so much to so many people, and the new kit helps remind us what we’re all part of and to give everything we can to keep the tradition going."

*Taken from Manutd.com

Shinji Kagawa: I've met with Sir Alex

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa claims he has held discussions with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Kagawa, 23, is out of contract in summer 2013 and has rejected an offer of a new deal from the Bundesliga champions.

Ferguson and assistant Mike Phelan were present at the DFB-Pokal final at the weekend as Kagawa scored and starred in Dortmund's 5-2 win over Bayern Munich.

And Kagawa says he held a meeting with Ferguson after the game, which came on the eve of United's final game of the Premier League season.

"It was good that I was able to meet him in person and talk," Kagawa said. "I want to think hard before making my decision. I want a team where I can take on challenges."

United chief executive David Gill said he would not talk about individual players when pressed on Tuesday about the possibility of signing Kagawa, who contributed 13 goals and eight assists to Dortmund's successful Bundesliga campaign.

*Taken from Soccernet.com
*For Shinji Kagawa biodata, click here.

Michael Owen: Fears the worst at United

Michael Owen fears his Manchester United career is over after another injury-disrupted season. Striker Owen, 32, was surprised when Sir Alex Ferguson gave him a year’s extension on his contract last season but is not holding out great hopes of a repeat, as a thigh injury has restricted him to only three starts this term. "I went to see the manager a couple of weeks before the end of last season thinking it was 50-50 whether he would offer me a new contract or not," said Owen. "I was absolutely delighted when he did. I will be going in again in a similar situation. I wouldn’t like to put figures on it this time, but I will speak to him at some point. It is the manager’s call. Whichever way it goes, I will take it like a man because I just feel grateful to have had this opportunity to have played for a wonderful club. If the rest of my career wasn’t to be at United, then I would love to keep playing at the highest level." Owen has started only 18 games in his three years at Old Trafford, following his free transfer from Newcastle.

*Taken from Manutd.com

Eden Hazard on the Manchester United's radar

Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his interest in Lille midfielder Eden Hazard by going on a scouting mission to watch the £25 million-rated Belgium international. Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, spent Saturday evening at Stade de Gerland as French champions Lille suffered a 2-1 defeat against Lyon. Ferguson has held a long-standing interest in Hazard, but Tottenham had been favourites to sign the 21 year-old, who has also been monitored by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. However, with Ferguson determined to avoid a repeat of last summer’s failure to add an attacking midfielder to his squad, when moves for Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder both ended in disappointment, the Scot is keen to identify targets for an early raid in the transfer market this summer.

*Taken from Manutd.com

*For Eden Hazard's biodata, click here.