Ex-Man Utd star set for ninth club after being sold ambitious plan by Kluivert

14 July 2023 , 07:21

927     0

Ex-Man Utd star set for ninth club after being sold ambitious plan by Kluivert

Former Manchester United star Nani is poised to join his ninth club with a move to Adana Demirspor close.

The Portuguese winger is a free agent after leaving Melbourne Victory and has held discussions with Adana Demirspor boss Patrick Kluivert, who has sold him on a move to Turkey, according to Goal. The Super Lig outfit finished fourth last term and are looking to claim the Turkish top flight title for the first time.

Nani, now 36, has endured a nomadic career since leaving Manchester just shy of ten years ago. He was signed as a teenage sensation by Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2007 after rising through the ranks at Sporting Lisbon, whom he has returned to in two separate stints.

Whilst at Old Trafford the Portuguese star often showed his talent and potential, scoring 40 times and making over 200 appearances whilst picking up numerous Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008 - scoring in the penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in the final.

It was Louis van Gaal who moved Nani on, firstly on loan to Sporting before he went on to have four moves in as many years as he struggled to find a settled home. He previously told Tribuna Expresso on his exit : "The Sporting move happened after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where I returned to Manchester and there was a change of coach.

Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

"It was Louis van Gaal. The year before we had changed too, it was [David] Moyes. When Ferguson left, I also wanted to leave. I thought it was the right time because things had happened that had not made me happy."

Nani has most recently been playing in Melbourne (Getty Images)

Fenerbahce paid just over £4m to take him off United's hands, scoring 12 times in all competitions. That prompted Valencia to make a move, spending just over £7m to add Nani. He never hit the heights in Spain and was sent out on loan to Lazio the following year. Sporting then came calling as they looked to bring the winger home to Lisbon. Nani went on to score the winning penalty as they saw off Porto in the cup final.

He went on to spend three years in the MLS at Orlando City before coming back to Europe and heading to Serie A side Venezia. Nani's globetrotting career then took him down under, where he was most recently, as he sampled life in the Australian league, leaving the club in May.

Now, with Adana Demirspor, Nani is looking to aid the immensely ambitious Turkish outfit. They recently recorded their best finish in the top flight, behind the country's big three, and moved to a new, 33,500-capacity ground back in 2021.

Samuel Meade