Agent quashes talk of Manchester United return for Nemanja Vidic

Nemanja Vidic will not leave Inter Milan to return to Manchester United in January, the Serbian's agent has confirmed.

The former United skipper brought an end to his eight-and-a-half-year career at Old Trafford, signing a three-year contract with the Nerazzurri last season.

Given Louis van Gaal's persistent lack of options at the back amid a ceaseless injury crisis at the club, coupled with Vidic's own unconvincing start to life at the San Siro, the powerful centre half has been linked with a return to the Premier League just six months on from his departure.

But Vidic's agent Silvano Martina laughed off reports of a United return.

"The boy is already training with the Red Devils," he joked, speaking to calciomercato.com: "They are all lies. Vidic has a three-year contract with Inter and does not move from Milan. It is almost useless to comment on some of the nonsense that is spread out and I do not see any reason to move him from Inter.

Martina added: "There was little respect towards my client, from the press, not Inter. As soon as the Nerazzurri get some games wrong, the press did not think twice to attack Vidic, pointing to the boy as the sole culprit. I repeat, he does not move from Inter."

United's depleted options this season has forced van Gaal to use eight different players at centre half this season. Those woes look set to persist with Chris Smalling facing another spell on the sidelines after suffering a muscle tear in United's 2-1 win over Southampton on Monday (8 December), immediately ruling him out of the visit of Liverpool on Sunday.