Will Ashley Young's Arrival Signal the End of Nani's Manchester United Career?

 The 2011/12 season, despite being only in its infancy, is already a novel one for the supporters of Manchester United.

Fans who have for the last season become accustomed to a certain temperance in their side's offseason transfer activity, have been treated to a 50 million plus spending splurge barely two weeks after the season finished.

With each new signing, however, the spotlight falls upon those who currently fill the spaces in the roster. Of the current squad, the highest profile player whose name has come under speculation is temperamental Portuguese show-pony Luis Nani.

To state that Nani position in United’s side is under threat would have, before Christmas, appeared to be a misnomer, such was the Portuguese’s early season impact, where he was almost certainly United’s most potent threat.

After Christmas, though, the signs of Nani’s impending loss of form started to make themselves apparent, culminating in a disastrous back-end of the season in which the 24-year-old was often used as an impact substitute.

Now, with the signing of the live-wire Ashley Young from Aston Villa for around 16 million, questions have been raised as to the prospect of Nani departing OT for European pastures new.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan, among others have made apparent their interest in the Portuguese, and although at the time the prospect was laughed off, now the option appears more tantalizing.

Both Nani and Young would fulfill similar roles in the United side; electric-paced wingers with a propensity for the extravagant and a mean set-piece delivery.

However, where they differ is whereas Young had a masterful season from August to May, Nani’s seemingly genetic inconsistency reared its ugly head again as his form dramatically slumped.

Whereas Nani is possibly more flashy and skillful than the England man, the differential is minimal, and what he lacks in flicks and tricks, Young more than makes up for in his defense...something which for Nani is often an afterthought.

 The beauty of the Ashley Young transfer deal is the player's adaptability: he can play on either wing as well as off the striker in the patented Wayne Rooney ’second striker’ role.

With this being said, and Ferguson’s propensity for squad rotation is taken into account, the two men could quite easily complement each other in the side.

Yet this would inevitably lead to more bench time for all players, and with Nani’s well-publicised narcissism in his own playing ability, I just wonder how he would take to a reduced role.

The brilliance of Nani’s first five months of the season means that the Portuguese’s stock has never been higher, which will inevitably lead to a very good price being garnered for his transfer.

If Fergie persists with the player and his self-absorption gets in the way of his play, the price will not be as good again.

Irrefutably he could, although it would surprise this writer, take to a reduced role with the mindset of attempting to make himself indispensable (a la Park Ji Sung), rather than calling for a transfer as he ‘wasn’t being appreciated.’

Yet the facts remain, Ashley Young is in, for a significant outlay, and it is fair to assume that, as a result will be seeing a fair bit of playing time at Old Trafford.

What happens now is down to Sir Alex Ferguson or, more pertinently, Luis Nani.

The next few weeks and months will show how the saga will play itself out, but I wouldn’t be surprised if June 10, 2011, and the signing of Ashley Young sparked the beginning of the end of Luis Nani’s Manchester United tenure.