Post by danthered on May 30, 2007 17:55:49 GMT -1
Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed he wanted to bring in at least three new faces in an effort to ensure the Premiership title remains at Old Trafford next season.
A £17million deal for England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is only believed to require the finishing touches before going through and although United did miss out on Southampton starlet Gareth Bale, it appears the Red Devils are eager to ensure Nani - a reported Spurs target - does not slip through the net.
The 20-year-old has refused to sign an extension to his present contract, which expires in the summer.
United chief executive David Gill and assistant manager Carlos Queiroz flew to Lisbon for talks over a possible move.
The pair were pictured leaving a Lisbon hotel after a meeting with senior
Sporting officials and it seems a fee of around £14million would be enough to secure the highly-rated youngster.
There have been reports in the Portuguese press suggesting the deal could even involve Nani spending next season on loan with his current club.
Certainly, if a move did take place, Ferguson would hope Nani could have a similar impact to the last player United signed from Sporting, footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Meanwhile, United are believed to be close to abandoning the Malaysian leg of their Far East tour.
The Old Trafford outfit had hoped a personal visit from Gill to Malaysia could help resolve the row which has erupted over their visit, which was part of the country's 50th anniversary celebrations but also clashes with the prestigious Asia Cup.
However, with the Asian Football Confederation holding the right of veto over the fixture, scheduled for July 27, and showing no sign of bending, the point is approaching when United finally admit defeat and find an alternative fixture to slot into a pre-season programme which already includes an Old Trafford encounter with Inter Milan on August 1.
Interesting!!!!
A £17million deal for England midfielder Owen Hargreaves is only believed to require the finishing touches before going through and although United did miss out on Southampton starlet Gareth Bale, it appears the Red Devils are eager to ensure Nani - a reported Spurs target - does not slip through the net.
The 20-year-old has refused to sign an extension to his present contract, which expires in the summer.
United chief executive David Gill and assistant manager Carlos Queiroz flew to Lisbon for talks over a possible move.
The pair were pictured leaving a Lisbon hotel after a meeting with senior
Sporting officials and it seems a fee of around £14million would be enough to secure the highly-rated youngster.
There have been reports in the Portuguese press suggesting the deal could even involve Nani spending next season on loan with his current club.
Certainly, if a move did take place, Ferguson would hope Nani could have a similar impact to the last player United signed from Sporting, footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
Meanwhile, United are believed to be close to abandoning the Malaysian leg of their Far East tour.
The Old Trafford outfit had hoped a personal visit from Gill to Malaysia could help resolve the row which has erupted over their visit, which was part of the country's 50th anniversary celebrations but also clashes with the prestigious Asia Cup.
However, with the Asian Football Confederation holding the right of veto over the fixture, scheduled for July 27, and showing no sign of bending, the point is approaching when United finally admit defeat and find an alternative fixture to slot into a pre-season programme which already includes an Old Trafford encounter with Inter Milan on August 1.
Interesting!!!!
Looking forward to seeing these players next season on Match Of The Day!