Stretford-End.com can exclusively reveal that Manchester United have plans for significant re-investment in their squad. With Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes set to retire by the end of the 2011/2012 season, Edwin van der Sar hanging up his gloves at the end of this season, the future of Gary Neville due to be decided within the next 6 weeks, and several fringe players given until the end of the season to prove their worth, there have been private assurances to Sir Alex Ferguson that there is money available for a reshaping before he retires.

The major news, aside from the fact that investment is imminent, is that Wayne Rooney’s contract negotations proved vital to this. Many sources claimed that he wanted to leave, many wrongly claimed that a deal had been agreed, but we can state that his involvement in negotiations with the club were solely to force the owners into at least privately confirming their intentions among the players.