United confirm double deal for Serb starlets Tosic & Ljajic
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Manchester United confirm double deal for Serb starlets Tosic and Ljajic
Done deal: Serbian star Zoran Tosic has finally completed his move to Old Trafford.
Manchester United have completed the signings of Serbian duo Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic from Partizan Belgrade, and Sir Alex Ferguson insists they will be the only new arrivals at Old Trafford this month.
At one point it was suggested talks had collapsed as the various parties could not reach a satisfactory conclusion.
However, any outstanding issues have now been resolved, leaving Tosic free to join the Old Trafford outfit next week, with Ljajic staying in Belgrade for the remainder of the season.
Ferguson is expecting a quiet month as his Premier League counterparts gear up for the annual scramble for new faces.
'That is the end of the transfer business at Manchester United this year,' he said. 'There will definitely not be anything else this January.'
Despite being just 21, Tosic has already made 12 appearances for Serbia and is regarded as one of the best young wide players in Europe.
In theory, his arrival could be bad news for Nani, who has struggled to make anything like the same impact as fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo, having left Sporting Lisbon for United 18 months ago.
Ljajic
However, with Ryan Giggs now 35 and set to figure even less over the next 18 months, Ferguson may decide to persevere with Nani, giving Tosic time to get used to his new surroundings.
'We have watched him for over a year,' said the United boss. 'Hopefully he does well but we will have to give him time because he has not played since December 10. He will need to get used to the tempo of our game and the training but he could play for us this season.'
At just 17, Ferguson feels Ljajic will benefit from the stability of remaining with Partizan, knowing his first-team opportunities at United would be almost non-existent this season.
Ljajic has already made his presence felt at under-21 level for Serbia and most observers believe it is only a matter of time before he gains full international honours.
It has been suggested United could end up paying around £17million for the duo, who will link up with Nemanja Vidic at Old Trafford, although that figure is likely to be based heavily on future success and the club have refused to comment on the size of an initial payment.
Ferguson confirmed he expects Vidic to play the role of father figure, which the defender is happy to take on.
Vidic took the pair out for dinner before they finally signed their contracts, although he insists there was no requirement for any last-minute arm twisting. 'I did not need to convince them to come to Manchester United,' he said. 'This is the best team in the world. Everyone wants to be part of this squad.
'They are having a dream. I know how they feel. I found it very difficult when I first came here but I am here to help.'
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eh got thread in the MUFC forum lehs..