For United, transfer rumors point to Portugal again

Manchester United is starting to make a habit out of looking to Portgal for new recruits and the latest comes in the form of Sporting Lisbon's start midfielder Miguel Veloso.

Veloso is a holding midfielder, a position in which United hardly needs to add players. But the reviews of the players performances have been so strong that it seems like Manchester can hardly resist.

But United are not the only potential suitors for Veloso. Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham have all expressed interest in signing the player. United's ace in the hole is that they have a first refusal agreement with Sporting and can take the player to Old Trafford should they be willing to match the highest bid.

Sporting claim they don't want to sell their best players, but that is a farce. Its almost an unwritten law at the club that whenever you value reaches a certain level, you are sold. Veloso's manager has already been told that they will allow a move for the right price. Now its a matter of time.

Next week could be the make or break moment for Veloso as Sporting travel to Old Trafford where he will be watched very closely. Veloso won his third international cap over the weekend when Portugal won against Armenia and had a solid display in an otherwise ordinary match. A deal sending him to Manchester would almost certainly mean someone would become surplus to requirements.

Boy Wonder returns

It couldn’t have ended any other way, could it? Boy Wonder Cristiano Ronaldo returned home to demonstrate what he’s learned since leaving and it’s safe to say, a lot. He drove in the winner as Manchester United won away at Sporting Lisbon in last night’s Champions League action.

Ronaldo headed in a cross from Wes Brown in the 62nd minute and was sure not to celebrate his goal and instead to bowed to the crowd in a gesture of respect. Ronaldo was a member of the Sporting Lisbon youth academy and has praised the quality of his footballing education.

It ended 1-0 and was a hard fought win for United. Sporting were no pushover and fully deserved a draw. United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar had to make a handful of excellent saves in both halves to ensure the win. While at times both team struggled and the matchup became a game of ping-pong, at others it was great football and on the whole a good game to watch.

In fact, on the whole Sporting created more chances, but were wasteful and van der Sar was excellent in goal. The second half saw United win the initiative and Ronaldo was given a standing ovation from the Lisbon crowd when he was substituted for Carlos Tevez.

For a look back at the game the brought Ronaldo to Sporting, have a look here as I compiled all his touches from that game into a YouTube video.

The game that brought Ronaldo to Manchester United (video)

The key moment of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career so far was a pre-season friendly in 2003 between Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United to celebrate the opening of Sporting’s new Jose Alvalade stadium.

Sporting ended up winning the match 3-1, Ronaldo was the best player on the pitch by a mile.

Ronaldo impressed everyone at Manchester so much that, on the plane ride home, the players demanded Alex Ferguson sign him which he did for 12m pounds. The newly crowned Premiership player of the year has never looked back so I thought I might, I have prepared a video of his touches in that 2003 friendly:

Liverpool join Gunners in chase for U-21 standout

I reported recently that Arsenal had sent scouts to all the UEFA U-21 Tournament matches to watch Miguel Veloso, now Liverpool has approached Sporting Lisbon about the player, reports A Bola.

The newspaper, not known for its rumoring, is generally accurate when approaches are made within the Portuguese League, and it claims that Liverpool have made preliminary inquiries about the player after it also emerged that their scouts at the games to watch other players were very impressed.

Veloso spent the entire 2006 season on loan to second division club Olivais e Moscavide and helped them on to promotion. Last season Sporting manager Paulo Bento put the player straight into the first team where he held his place despite Sporting’s biggest summer acquisition playing the same position.

Should Veloso leave Sporting have cover, and the Premiership a player to covet. He’s very sharp, especially his passing. He’s also excellent in the tackle and can play as a central defender. What apparently caught the eye of Liverpool most were his free kicks (video at bottom).

So has his stock risen that even senior national coach Philipe Scolari has his eye on the player for a sooner rather than later role in the national side.

Veloso also has pedigree. His father, Antonio, was 40 times capped and an SL Benfica defender for 15 years from 1980 to 1995, including seven seasons as club captain and seven times as Portuguese champions. He was also a member of the 1990 European Cup final squad that lost 1-0 to AC Milan.

"My father's influence is very big. He helps me in every aspect. He watches almost all my matches and tries to correct me in different ways. His great experience and know-how is a very important source of support for me." - Veloso

Liverpool should take note, this player is a serious talent, he must be for a club so stocked with midfielders to make an inquiry. This article goes in depth on the player.

Charlton sign one of U-21 Tournament’s best defenders

Charlton Athletic have been preparing for life in the Championship by signing Portuguese U-21 International central defender Jose Semedo. If you didn’t have a chance to see him at the tournament he was very impressive, hardly putting a foot wrong through all the games and showing exceptional skill and athletic prowess for his age.

Charlton have definitely done well as Alan Pardew continues to build a new squad ahead of his attempt to rebound to the top flight.

A powerful central defender, Semedo reminds me a lot of Kolo Toure and Marcel Desially when you watch him. He has never actually played in the Sporting Lisbon first team having spent his youth there and being loaned out since 2004 to Casa Pia AC and then CD Feirense in the Second Division in Portugal and then to Cagliari in Italy. It’s incredible how many talented players are coming out of the Sporting youth academy, it goes another step towards cementing its place as the second best in the world behind Ajax Amsterdam.

Semedo has signed a four-year deal and follows another Under-21 starlet, Frenchman Yassin Moutaouakil, to the club. Luckily Charlton get him on a free transfer, Sporting having slipped on the contractual front.

I will stop short of raving, but this player has tremendous potential and I am certain will do exceptionally well at Charlton. I couldn’t find a video, so you’ll just have to wait and see.