Fortune & £6m to get Given
Newcastle’s Shay Given is the keeper Manchester United want to replace Roy Carroll. A £6million package deal, which could include Old Trafford midfielder Quinton Fortune going to Tyneside, is being discussed. And Given is said to have sold his home in the North East and bought a property in Cheshire.
Paul Hetherington, Daily Star Sunday
United step up keeper chase
Manchester United goalkeeping coach Tony Coton will watch Roma´s Gianluca Curci today as Sir Alex Ferguson steps up his search for a new No.1. Coton will watch Roma´s final Serie A game of the season against Chievo following some excellent scouting reports. United´s only concern is that the 19-year-old lacks the experience to handle the Premiership - and if Coton´s opinion is not favourable the Reds will turn to Shakhtar Donetsk´s Jan Lastuvka. Ferguson has already enquired about the man who is understudy to Chelsea´s Petr Cech in the Czech Republic squad and has been told the asking price is £3million.
Simon Mullock, Sunday Mirror
Sir Alex back for Lastuvka
Manchester United will step up interest in Chelsea star Petr Cech’s international understudy Jan Lastuvka, following the surprise exit of Roy Carroll last week. As we revealed in February, United’s goalkeeping coach Tony Coton is a big fan of the Czech Republic number two, who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk and is valued at around £2.5million.
John Richardson, Sunday Express
Carroll’s in the dark over future
Roy Carroll has insisted he didn´t want to leave Old Trafford after being shown the door by Manchester United. Despite pleas from boss Sir Alex Ferguson to stay, the Northern Ireland international refused to sign a new contract, believing the deal being offered was short of the package he deserved after four years at the club. And as he jetted off on a family holiday yesterday, the keeper admitted his future was still undecided despite speculation he may join Everton´s Champions League adventure. " I´ve had four great years and I want to thank Sir Alex and the staff, but I have to move on," said Carroll, 27. " I am a little disappointed because I would have liked to have stayed, but I felt the deal being offered just wasn´t right and I´m just looking to playing for another good club." Although Carroll´s agent, Francis Martin, has had contact with several Spanish clubs, the Irishman wants to stay in the Premiership.
Steve Bates, The People
Rio set to sign deal
Rio Ferdinand will end speculation about his Manchester United future by signing a new contract inside the next 14 days. The England defender has come under heavy fire from United for stalling on contract negotiations. However, Ferdinand’s advisors have reached a compromise over a new deal and they expect to announce he will remain at the club for the foreseeable future.
Paul Smith, Sunday Mirror
United nuts for Brazilian
Alex Ferguson will seal a £3million raid for Lyon’s Brazilian play-maker Juninho. The United boss believes he has agreed a deal with the French club for Juninho Pernambucano, 30, who is out of contract next summer. Lyon offered him a new deal and he indicated he would stay – but United’s interest has turned his head.
James Fletcher, News of the World
O’Shea all set for Kop switch
John O’Shea is a shock target for Liverpool. Even though he started the FA Cup Final, the £6million-rated Manchester United defender is finding it increasingly difficult to hold down a regular starting place at Old Trafford. And his task is likely to get tougher this season as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to introduce outstanding young centre-halves Jonathan Spector and Gerard Pique into the first team.
Andy Dunn & Alan Nixon, The People
Get Figo Fergie!
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is being urged by his assistant Carlos Queiroz to sign Madrid’s Luis Figo. Figo, 32, has been told he can leave Real on a free transfer this summer – even though he has a year remaining on his current contract at the Bernabeu. Recruiting a player of Figo’s age would go against Fergie’s recent transfer policy. But Queiroz is arguing that an exception should be made for Figo. United’s assistant manager insists, as a free agent, he would be a bargain, even though he would demand at least £70,000 a week on a short-term contract.
Paul Hetherington, Daily Star Sunday
Barce & Real step up Ruud interest
Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to sensationally quit Manchester United. The £19million striker is desperate to regain his scoring form so has can lead Holland’s attack in next year’s World Cup finals. Dutch sources claim van Nistelrooy, 28, would move to either Spain or Italy after a season wrecked by injuries and poor form. Barcelona and Real Madrid have bee alerted by van Nistelrooy’s shock decision and he has told pals in Holland that he’s on the verge of asking for a transfer.
Harry Harris, Daily Star Sunday
King Kier
Kieran Richardson became the first England player in 30 years to score twice on his international debut and confessed: " It´s like a dream." The Manchester United wonderkid grabbed both goals for the Three Lions in a 2-1 win over the USA here in Chicago. And he added: " It´s the best day of my career. It is a dream. Scoring for my country is such a great feeling, I´m so honoured and proud. But I´m still in a daze, really. It´s hard to put into words how I feel."
Rob Beasley, News of the World
United face debt meltdown
Malcolm Glazer could leave Manchester United with staggering debts of £1.55BILLION after his takeover. The News of the World has seen the American tycoon´s proposals, which reveal huge penalties if he fails to pay back on time the massive £645m he has borrowed. Glazer has taken on the huge debts after paying £3-a-share to take United off the stock market. And Nick Towle, chairman of action group Shareholders United, said: " Glazer isn´t so much tied up with loan sharks — he´s got himself involved with a plague of locusts! United chairman Sir Roy Gardner resigned saying Glazer had provided no assurances about future debt levels, transfer funds, non-interference in team selection and so on. Now we see the true horror of it all." Glazer has borrowed £275m from American hedge funds, which specialise in lending money to risky ventures at high rates of interest. And there are big penalties if he fails to pay back on time. Towle said: " The total debt could easily reach £1.55bn if Glazer does not hit all his repayment targets. That´s the big fear for all supporters.
Geoff Sweet, News of the World
Fergie in dark over Glazer’s transfer kitty
Sir Alex Ferguson’s hopes of an early meeting with the Glazer family were in ruins last night - leaving doubts over Manchester United´s summer spending plans. Following his side´s FA Cup Final defeat by Arsenal eight days ago the United boss said he wanted to meet new owner Malcom Glazer or his son Joel before flying off on holiday on June 1. But no meeting is set and Fergie is faced with heading for the South of France still unsure whether he has money to spend or not this summer. Contrary to rumour, Joel Glazer did not hold a secret meeting with Ferguson and Chief Executive David Gill at the club´s Carrington training complex last week. It´s now unlikely that any meeting will take place between the new American owners and United´s top brass before the middle of June. Fergie will have to wait until the Glazers present their business plan before he knows how much cash United can spend on players this summer.
Steve Bates, The People
Reds deny Glazer meeting
Manchester United officials denied last night that new owner Malcolm Glazer´s son Joel met Ferguson at the training ground on Wednesday. There had been claims from club insiders that Glazer Jnr made a secret flying visit.
Staff reporter, Sunday Mirror
Nike put pressure on United
Manchester United have been warned by major sponsors Nike that a continued lack of success could cost them dear. The sportswear manufacturers began a 13-year kit deal with the Red Devils in August 2002 worth up to £303million to the Old Trafford club. However, it is reported that a get-out clause will allow Nike to decide in July next year whether to continue that agreement past the 2007-08 season. And vice-president of sports marketing Ian Todd has admitted his company will be monitoring United´s progress following their failure to win a trophy last season. Todd told The Sunday Telegraph: " We don´t know what is going to happen next year. All options are open. Chelsea won the league this year, Arsenal won the FA Cup and Liverpool won the Champions League. So you could argue that Manchester United is only the fourth-best club in England at the moment. If, for example, Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League next season that might be a problem. We will look very carefully at this situation, as we do with all our sponsorship agreements."
Staff reporter, Mail on Sunday
It’s agony for Stam
Jaap Stam says he now knows how Bayern Munich felt in 1999 after being on the wrong end of the greatest comeback in Champions League history. The Milan defender was part of the Manchester United team who scored twice in the last minute to clinch the European Cup - and the Treble. But he could do nothing to prevent Liverpool coming from three goals down on Wednesday, and the Dutchman said: " We just didn´t see it coming. It happened so fast that we just couldn´t do anything about it. These things happen in football, but when you are on the receiving end it is a terrible feeling. We are devastated - and the rest of Europe will not believe what happened. I experienced the ecstasy with Manchester United and now the misery against Liverpool."
Simon Mullock, Sunday Mirror
Round-up by Gemma Thompson.
