Manchester United Transfer News: Offering Nani to Monaco Is a Mistake

Manchester United have yet to make any impressive signings over the summer, but if Vadim Vasilyev, sporting director of AS Monaco, is correct, they could become sellers during the transfer window. 

According to French newspaper L'Equipe via Jack de Menezes of The Independent, Vasilyev says that United have offered the 26-year-old winger to the French club. 

There's reason to believe Vasilyev's claim. Nani is coming off a season in which he only made 10 Premier League and Champions League starts with the club, scoring just one goal. 

Selling Nani at this juncture would be a mistake though. 

Yes, his value to the club was at an all-time low last season. There's no denying that United would have been seen the same results on the pitch as a team without Nani on the roster. 

However, there's a major difference between last year's squad and this year's. New manager David Moyes is bound to create a new environment. For better or worse, the club will at least change slightly on the pitch with Moyes overseeing things. 

For that reason alone, selling a player with as much potential as Nani would be a disappointing decision. 

As the player himself pointed out to Sky Sports, a new manager means that every player on the roster must prove themselves all over again:

"

Of course it's a bit different when Sir Alex leaves the club, so you can feel the change because you know how important he was for this club... The team is the same and we hope the manager comes with ideas to help us to win again... Of course, everyone has to prove himself because it is a different manager with different ideas.

"

Preseason results are obviously to be taken with a grain of salt, but Nani showed that the new manager might be the spark he needs to live up to his massive potential. He netted two goals in his first preseason appearance with the club in United's 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra. 

When you consider the summer that United have had, it becomes even more clear that selling Nani would be a bad idea. 

The club has yet to sign anyone of note. Cesc Fabregas remains a slight possibility, but as SkySports reports, the move is unlikely. On top of that, Wayne Rooney reportedly has his heart set on leaving Old Trafford, per Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail. 

For those keeping score at home, United could lose Rooney and Nani this season without completing any major signings. The duo may have struggled last year, but losing two players of their quality would damage the depth that the club has done a great job of developing.