Nicky Butt to Birmingham City?

By Chris O'Brien
June 2 2004

United's Nicky Butt is reconsidering his future at Old Trafford, and Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce is likely to attempt to lure the England international to the Midlands if he decides to leave. The 29-year-old was transfer listed by request in January, but then decided to fight for his place.

Steve Bruce is thought to be pondering a summer swoop for Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt, who is unsettled at Old Trafford after struggling to earn much first-team recognition during an unsuccessful 2003/2004 season. The England international had a transfer request reluctantly accepted by Sir Alex Ferguson in January, but Butt then changed his mind and vowed to fight for his place with United until at least the end of the campaign.

Birmingham have always been favourites to obtain the signature of Nicky Butt, with United believed to have accepted a £5.5million bid from the Midlands outfit during the New Year transfer window. With the 29-year-old unlikely to feature heavily in England's European Championship bid, Butt has announced that he will consider his future again after the international tournament held in Portugal, and if he looks away from Old Trafford, Steve Bruce is set to show no hesitation in making another offer for the player he once played alongside.

"It's difficult, though. I haven't been playing regularly and I don't want to be in the same boat next season, especially now we have these transfer windows." said Butt.

"You can find yourself stuck for months and then, when it gets to January, making a move to another club is not something you particularly want to rush into.

"It's something I need to sit down and think about. I need to talk to my family. I've got a wife and children to consider. Obviously I also need to talk to the manager at Old Trafford. It's something I need to think about seriously and I don't think now is the time."

A handful of other clubs are also thought to be tracking the progress of Nicky Butt. Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers and Glasgow Celtic have all been linked with a move for the Manchester-born player over the past months, and would all see the holding role played by the midfielder as ideal. Opinions amongst the Manchester masses is divided, but what is clear is that Butt doesn't play the vital role he once did in our squad, and with young midfielders like Djemba-Djemba and Fletcher likely to be more involved next year, the future of the fan favourite is in serious doubt.