4. Clever Business
There were
rumours that Nani was prepared to run down the final year of his contract this season if he was not offered a new deal. The thought of leaving him on a free transfer next season clearly didn't appeal to United, bearing in mind they had paid a
reported £17 million to acquire his services. If Nani fails to produce the kind of form he has shown previously for United, then the club are in a much stronger position to negotiate a deal away from the club for the winger in one or two years time. It has become apparent that contracts hold little value in football these days and realistically, the length of a contract is not particularly important to the club, as long as they are the ones that decide when the player leaves rather than vice versa. As demonstrated with the Rooney saga this summer, United are not easily swayed by player wishes and are prepared to stand firm with their assets if need be. By tying Nani down for another five years United are guaranteed some resale value on the player if they do wish to sell at a later date; it has been obvious this summer that there would be
no shortage of takers if that was to be the case.