Moyes to begin Old Trafford clearout with Zaha loan deal

Under pressure Manchester United boss David Moyes stated recently that he was in no rush to recruit this January, and if recent reports are to be believed, he appears keen to offload a handful of his misfiring stars instead.

After an indifferent start to his United reign, Moyes’ side lie in seventh place, four points from fourth place and trailing 2-1 following the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Sunderland.

But having comfortably qualified for the next stage of the Champions League, and with club directors’ acknowledging that the title-winning squad requires some significant restructuring, Moyes is expected to be given the time to make his mark.

But despite talk of up to £200m being made available for new signings at Old Trafford, it seems that Moyes will prioritise clearing out some of the under-performing high earners in his squad, with midfielder Anderson looking set to complete a move to Serie A, with Fiorentina keen to secure the Brazilian’s signature this month.

The £17 million signing in 2007 has not played a Premier League game under Moyes in over a month, and he could be followed by another two midfielders who have failed to make an impression on the former Everton boss.

Portuguese international Nani has a reputation for blowing hot and cold during a season, but Moyes is yet to see enough of the hot to warrant keeping the tricky winger, with a loan move to former club Sporting Lisbon mooted. Given that it’s a World Cup year and with Portugal among the favourites to make an impression in Brazil, Nani will be happy to push through the move.

Despite currently nursing a hamstring injury, Sporting are expected to greenlight a deal even if the player is not fit ahead of the transfer deadline.

But while the United careers of both these players appears to be nearing their respective finales, a third player heading out is doing so in an effort to revive his, with promising youngster Wilfried Zaha linked to a number of top flight clubs as he endeavours to rack some Premier League experience under his belt before he can make a real impression in a United shirt.

One red shirt he could make an impact in is that of Cardiff’s, as while the likes of Stoke, Newcastle and former club Crystal Palace have been linked, Ole Gunner Solskjaer’s strong ties with his old club put him at the front of the queue, with first team football guaranteed at the Welsh side ahead of their anticipated relegation scrap.