Manchester United Winger Wants Sporting Lisbon Return

Manchester United winger Nani has revealed he plans on returning to his boyhood club Sporting Lisbon one day.

The Portuguese international's peripheral role in the United set up last season where he started just seven Premier League games has seen his future at Old Trafford thrown into severe doubt, with clubs such as Galatasaray, Juventus and Anzhi Makhachkala rumoured to be plotting a summer bid.

The managerial upheaval at Old Trafford may have changed such circumstances however; with some reports suggesting David Moyes is prepared to offer the 26-year-old the first team opportunities Sir Alex Ferguson deprived him of during the second half of last season.

Although he may have been given a reprieve in Manchester, Nani still harbours desires to return to Portugal, more specifically the club that developed him as a youngster in Sporting. While a return to the Estadio Jose Alvalade may not be in his immediate plans, the United wide man makes no secret of his desire to one day return to the club.

"I believe that one day I will return to play for Sporting, because it is my club who I love and have represented," Nani was quoted as saying in Abola.

Reports have suggested that Nani, who joined United from Sporting for a fee of £18m in 2007, could be about to sign a new contract at Old Trafford, a development that would ensure his presence at the club for at least another season.

Nani's current deal expires next summer, suggesting United will have to tie the winger down to a new deal or offload him in the coming months to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.

Along with Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia, none of United's wingers enjoyed a particularly impressive campaign last season. The arrival of former Crystal Palace starlet Wilfried Zaha who is likely to remain with the first team squad in the new season will create more competition for wide positions in Moyes' side.