Moyes uncertain of Rooney's Manchester United future

The manager is uncertain if the striker would commit his future to the club if they missed out on Champions League football but feels he is is happy at Old Trafford

Manchester United manager David Moyes has admitted that striker Wayne Rooney may not sign a new contract if the champions miss out on a top-four finish.

The Red Devils currently languish in seventh place in the Premier League, five points behind Liverpool in fourth and 11 points off top-of-the-table Arsenal.


Rooney’s current deal expires at the end of next season and, as exclusively revealed by Goal in December, the striker has rejected United’s latest attempts to open talks over a new contract.

When asked how confident Moyes was of Rooney signing a new deal if United missed out on the top four he told reporters: "Well, we would have to wait and see what [would] happen if that situation arose."

The former Everton man has, however, been in top form for the reigning champions this season, scoring 11 times, and his manager feels he is happy at Old Trafford. 

"I thought if you looked at his performances you'd have to say he's certainly playing at his best," he added.

United are in FA Cup action on Sunday, a game Rooney is expected to miss through injury, although Moyes is confident he could return in midweek for the Capital One clash with Sunderland.

"He's got a groin injury and won't be available for the game," he said before adding he "had a chance" of facing the Black Cats.  

United face Swansea at Old Trafford having lost six times already at Old Trafford this season but Moyes has urged his side to improve and insists the FA Cup is important to the club.

"To have not won the FA Cup for 10 years is something which is a bit of a surprise but it's something which we'll try and do," Moyes said.

"We're trying to win all the competitions we enter which we're sure most people are trying to do but as far as I'm concerned we'll do everything we possibly can.

"The cup is important to me, it always has been but I'm sure it's important to every club
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£221m ? The most expensive potential Jan signings

£221m ? The most expensive potential Jan signings

Ilkay Gundogan: £25m
Possible destinations: Real Madrid, Manchester United

Ander Herrera: £30m
Possible destination: Manchester United

Diego Costa: £32m
Possible destinations: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea

Eliaquim Mangala: £37.8m
Possible destinations: Chelsea, Manchester United

Julian Draxler: £38m
Possible destinations: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United

Radamel Falcao: £60m
Possible destinations: Chelsea, Real Madrid

Barcelona planning to bring in Man United striker in January !!

Barcelona planning to bring in Man United striker in January !!

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie finds himself on the front of Catalan daily Sport today as rumours continue to swirl about his future.

There have been plenty of suggestions recently that van Persie is unhappy at Old Trafford under new Manchester United boss David Moyes and this is played up by Sport.

BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson even went so far as to suggest that Robin van Persie had handed in a transfer request, which was rubbished by David Moyes after Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Sport report that Barcelona are looking to bring in a striker in January, to support the likes of Lionel Messi, Pedro, Alexis Sanchez and Neymar.

Barcelona are keen to bring in a natural hitman and if they receive any hint RVP is keen to leave will make their move in the coming weeks.

The Catalan paper build up van Persie as Tata Martino’s Henrik Larsson – an older striker who could be a crucial member of the Barcelona squad – as the Swedish striker was between 2004 to 2006.

It would be a major surprise if Robin van Persie were to leave Manchester United – surely David Moyes is not in a position to let his star striker depart!

Manchester United favourites to land £35m Barcelona target

Manchester United are favourites to sign Juventus playmaker Arturo Vidal before February 1st.

SkyBet have made the Red Devils as short as 5/2 to bring the Chilean international to the Premier League this month, amidst reports in the national press that the champions were lining-up a move for the £35million-rated midfielder.

Vidal has impressed in Serie 'A' since moving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2011, helping the Bianconeri to the title last season.

It's led to speculation over a move away from the club though, with Spanish giants Barcelona reported to be an interested party.

The La Liga champions aren't short of options in attacking midfield, with manager Gerardo Martino rotating his stars on a regular basis at the Nou Camp.

Bookmakers don't believe Vidal will be joining Barca though, with 20/1 the quoted price for the player to end the first month of 2014 in Catalonia. Chelsea are second favourites at 8/1, with Bayern Munich next on the list at 16/1.

That means Manchester United are clearly out in-front, according to SkyBet at least, and Vidal's arrival would be a major coup for manager David Moyes.

The Scot has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford after replacing Sir Alex Ferguson, missing out on some big transfer targets in the summer before a disappointing first half of the season.

Vidal could be the spark that Manchester United to re-ignite their top four chances this season, but it remains to be seen if they can agree a deal with the Old Lady in Italy.

2013’s most happening power couples

Mohib Mirza and Amina Sheikh (top Left) Khadija Shah and Jehanzeb Amin (top Right), Samina and Usman Peerzada (bottom Left) Sarah Najmi Bilgrami and Zayd Bilgrami (bottom Right). PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: As much as 2013 was an achievement for young individuals from the entertainment and fashion industry, for some it was a dual ride, whereby success was measured as a product of a strong relationship than individual capabilities.

Express Tribune rounds up a list of five power couples who inspired us with their impeccable team effort and their contributions to cultural aspects of this country as a whole:

Usman Peerzada and Samina Peerzada

As part of Generation Y, our usual perception of old couples doesn’t necessarily relate to love. We instantly assume that they were set up by their parents and it was all about compromise along the way. However, the actor-film-maker duo Samina Peerzada and Usman Peerzada defy all those notions with their heartwarming chemistry. The two have been married for over 35 years and have been icons for the Pakistani entertainment for even longer. As role models who have seen the best and the worst of both worlds, the couple has played a significant role in the revival of cinema in terms of both talent and finance. While Samina received innumerable accolades for her role in drama series Zindagi Gulzar Hai and also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Beyond the Mango Film Festival at Bradford, this year, Usman has already been working on a comeback with three film projects which he announced during the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW) International Film Festival, last week. However, as a grounded couple their biggest achievement this year has been marrying their daughter Amal. “It is all because of love. The highs and lows of showbiz can only be sustained by love. If there was no love, we wouldn’t have been able to make it through in life,” says Samina.

Aamina Sheikh and Mohib Mirza

Married in 2005, the two actors Aamina and Mohib really stole the limelight this year with their achievements. Even though, both started out with humble beginnings as stage actors, the two met each other on the sets of Bachay Mann Kay Sachay where Aamina was directing Mohib and soon after the two fell for each other and developed a great understanding. After a decade of struggle and a marriage of eight years, they can now easily be categorised as two of the few top emerging actors in Pakistan’s new-age cinema. Their films Josh and Lamhaa(Seedlings) received tremendous critical acclaim and an array of awards at international film festivals including the New York Film Festival. As the face of Lux, Amna was also rightly awarded the Miss Photogenic at the Veet Awards and the Best Dressed Celebrity at the Lux Style Awards, this year. Yet Aamina remains down-to-earth and considers her family and relationship to be the milestone of her life. “Our relationship has served as a catapult as well as an anchor. In addition, it has always been a means of keeping us both grounded and always grateful,” highlights Aamina.

Khadija Shah and Jehanzeb Amin 

Theirs is another story of young love; having known each other since they were only sixteen, Khadija and Jehanzeb got hitched back in 2007 and brought to life one of the most regal and exquisite fashion brands in the country, Elan. The two were involved in a lot of high end sport activities through their brand, this year, like the recent Polo Cup and Project Pakistan — a collaborative effort with biker Moin Khan. Together they further enhanced the luxurious creativity of their brand by putting up three collections for the fashion weeks. Although, the overwhelming success of the brand would suggest they share a common ground, they say that they are polar opposites and that’s what keeps them so balanced and grounded. “I think I’m his friend first and wife later. We are polar opposites like yin and yang but we fit together. We’ve been through so much together; highs and lows and we’ve stood by each other through it all,” says Shah.

Maha Burney and Nadir Feroze Khan 

A rugged, handsome and artistic photographer married to an uber-trendy, creative stylist — it was surely a match made in heaven. Maha and Nadir knew each other since their pre-teens, occasionally bumping into each and other as neighbours and then school mates. However, when the two of them finally connected around four years back, it was for life. Now married for two and a half years, the couple has caused quite a stir in the fashion industry with theircreative expertise in a rather short span of time and this year was definitely a highlight for them in terms of their work. From Sania Maskatiya’s  mesmerising lawn photo shoot to incredible TV ads for Colour Professional Studio and Bonanza’s winter collection, the two have literally been on a success roll in the professional domain and have received immense appreciation from all spheres of the industry. According to the duo, the reason for their shared success is their spot on compatibility. “We love that we are so creatively aligned! We both really get each other’s style and have great respect for the other’s aesthetic, experience and skill set. Two heads are always better than one and at the end of it all, our goal is the same  — we want to produce the best product possible! Accommodating both our respective stylistic perspectives also makes work more challenging and exciting! We inspire each other stylistically and push each other to excel and grow,” says Maha.

Sarah Najmi Bilgrami and Zayd Bilgrami

Unlike the rest of the couples, Sarah and Zayd come from a completely different field but that does not undermine the credibility of their accomplishments in any way. Entrepreneurs cum architects, the two of them make the trio of pillars behind the success and popularity of YOC’A. This year has been a rewarding one for them and their team as YOC’A, crossed the mark of one million square feet of building, was featured in ARCASIA magazine and launched a one-of-a-kind collaborative designer series of furniture with renowned Pakistani couturier Hassan Sheheryar Yasin. They also recently revamped and built the student center and prayer hall at the IBA campus — something that the two of them are very proud of. “We have always balanced each other which is our greatest strength, our mutual respect and the fact that we value each other’s strengths and acknowledge our own weaknesses goes a long way,” asserts Zayd. “We’ve recognised who does what best and have blind faith in our decisions which we never question or look back at and blame, this makes a successful partnership at home and at work.”

Money matters when you don’t have it: Katrina Kaif

Katrina prefers the idea of investing earnings in property instead of wasting it on luxurious things. PHOTOS: FILE

Actor Katrina Kaif has been reigning over Bollywood for a while now, both in terms of the figures that her movies reap at the box office and her undeniable sex appeal. She was declared Asia’s sexiest woman and was also given the title of the hottest celebrity in 2012. The year 2013 saw her reach the top of a completely different domain — she made it to the top ten of Forbes list of 100 Indian celebrities. As the only female actor on the list, her earnings for the past year summed up to a whopping INR637.7 million.

Clearly, the actor has been earning a lot and she seems to understand its significance. “Coming from a family that never had that kind of money, initially, it was important. Financial security is crucial for your family and I have a large family,” she said, according to the Hindustan Times. “Money does matter when you don’t have it. When you need it, you realise the value of it. In that sense, money will always have value.”

For somebody who earns so much, Katrina claims that she is not a big spender. “I’m not a big spender or shopper. Neither am I extravagant nor do I have big expenses. I mainly spend on travel. I don’t buy overpriced clothes as I feel such expenses are unnecessary. I probably wouldn’t buy expensive watches or jewellery either,” she said.

Buzz has it that competition in B-town not only revolves around acting capabilities but also extends to how much one gets paid. However, Katrina feels that competition based on money is not really healthy. “I’ve no idea how much any of the other actresses get paid for their movies or their stage shows. There’s competition in every field and that’s healthy. It makes you work harder and be your best. Competition, not in terms of money or number of projects, but in the quality of your work, is very healthy,” she asserted.

The most common notion is that with money comes power, so what exactly does power mean to Katrina? “The luxury to be able to have choices — whether it’s selecting your work, the ads or the shows you want to be part of or choosing what to do in life. It also means having people listen to you and your voice having an impact,” she said.

Although the actor is not into spending big, she supports the idea of making worthwhile investments with money and feels investing in property is something that can be really helpful in the long run.