France defender, Patrice Evra, has decided not to extend his stay at Manchester United after choosing Juventus as his next club.
Patrice Evra
The 33-year-old, who played for France at the recently-concluded World Cup in Brazil, has signed a two-year deal with the Italian champions for a fee of around £950,000 after asking to leave Old Trafford for personal reasons.
Evra, who signed a one-year contract extension at Manchester United in May, had been expected to leave following the signing of young left back, Luke Shaw from Southamption by United.
The departure of Juve coach, Antonio Conte, however created doubts over the transfer until Conte’s replacement, Massimiliano Allegri, decided to proceed with the deal.
In a statement to Man U fans, Evra said “After a great deal of thought, I have decided the time is right for me to leave Manchester United. It is the biggest decision of my career as this club is, and will always remain, in my heart.”
The sale of the France international is the third for Manchester United following the departure of fellow senior defenders, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, to Inter Milan and Quess Park Rangers respectively.
Evra joined United from Monaco for £5.5m in January 2006, endured a difficult debut but went on to become a major success at Old Trafford, scoring 10 goals in 379 games, serving as vice-captain and winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008 in the process.
Evra paid tribute to Manchester United’s iconic coach, Sir Alex Ferguson; past and present team mates as well as fans, saying “joining and playing for Manchester United has been a dream come true.”