Ben No Longer Ticking At Utd: Foster Flees To Brum In Fergie Re-Shuffle

It has been less than two weeks since Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United saw the league title bestowed to their London rivals Chelsea, despite a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Stoke City, but it looks like changes are already imminent.

United's renovations begin with England international goalkeeper Ben Foster, who has been sold to surprise outfit Birmingham City in a £6 million deal.

Foster, 27, was heralded as England's future No. 1, but poor form and limited opportunities in Manchester which has seen him frozen out of first-team experience and hindered his development.

At Birmingham, Foster will take the reigns left by Joe Hart, who ironically intimated his pleasure of hopefully seeing Foster represent the Blues next season.

He said, "Ben has had some harsh criticism at Manchester United this season but, if he does turn out to be the Birmingham keeper next season, he will do a good job."

Hart will most now likely return to his parent club, Manchester City.

He has already been linked with Arsenal after an impressive season in which the Blues were largely impregnable at home, conceding just 13 goals in 19 matches at St. Andrews.

Foster will no doubt be hoping to replicate Hart's performances in the West Midlands. A series of injuries, high-profile errors, and the presence of veteran Edwin Van Der Sar curtailed his World Cup prospects in South Africa. He now finds himself behind a slew of goalkeepers in the international reckoning, including Hart, Blackburn Rovers' Paul Robinson, and Wigan's Chris Kirkland, as well as established performers David James and Robert Green.

The opportunity at Birmingham should boost Foster's international credentials. Foster currently has four caps with England, and will be convinced that regular first-team action in the Premier League will add to this tally.

Foster's departure represents the first alteration of personnel in Manchester United's offseason. The move comes as no surprise after Ferguson had detailed his willingness to let a couple of players leave in the summer as part of a shake-up at Old Trafford.

Ferguson said, “You have to take a decision about where we can improve the team."

“When you are challenging for four trophies it can have a draining effect. You have to be aware of that and spot the moment when it is time to freshen up one or two players."

“It is not a desire to do it but you need to do it because the demands and pressures on players can, over time, be quite exacting.”

Ferguson's desire to refresh the squad with new additions thus comes at a price.

The opportunity to sign rumored targets David Silva, Angel Di Maria, Karim Benzema, and James Milner will likely see more departures at other positions, particularly up front where Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen are subjected to transfer speculation following a season in which both failed to stake their claims for selection on a consistent basis as an able partner for Wayne Rooney.

Ferguson has also acted on a desire to extend contracts for some of his senior players such as Paul Scholes and Edwin Van Der Sar. Van Der Sar's one year extension keeps him at Old Trafford for another season, shifting the focus onto Manchester United's No. 2, Tomasz Kuszczak, who has declared his desire to leave after seeing his opportunities diminish this term.

Kuszczak, like Foster, also has international prospects.

A native of Poland, Kuszczak is hoping that increased first-team football will propel him to the No. 1 spot for his country as they look to bounce back from the disappointment of World Cup qualification.

Reserve goalkeeper Ben Amos will now step into Foster's spot, supporting Van Der Sar and Kuszczak.