United bid £9m for
Ribéry
By Andy Hunter
Published: 02 June 2006
Manchester United made their first transfer move of the summer last
night when they joined the pursuit of Marseilles' talented
midfielder Franck Ribéry.
United's chief executive, David Gill, is understood to have made a
verbal offer of £9m for the 23-year-old in a telephone conversation
with the Marseilles president, Pape Diouf, yesterday, although he
may have to call back with the promise of an extra £3m before the
French club entertain the idea of parting with their prized
asset.
A late inclusion in the French World Cup squad, Ribéry is unsettled
at Marseilles and anxious to leave following the recent departure
of manager Jean Fernandez to Auxerre.
Ribéry is currently the subject of a bitter dispute between
Marseilles and the French champions Lyon after the latter's
chairman, Jean-Michel Aulas, was accused of tapping up the winger
at an awards ceremony last week where he was named France's Young
Player of the Year.
"I've given them [United] the same answer as I gave to Lyon and,
although United are stubborn and may try again, that is Ribéry is
not available," Diouf said.
The Marseilles president has claimed it would take an offer of ?45m
(£30.8m) for him to sell Ribéry, who is under contract until 2010,
but with the player agitating for a move a more realistic price is
£12m. United remain confident of landing the midfielder ahead of
the World Cup.
United are expected to receive £10m from Chelsea in the next 24
hours for a teenager who has never played for the Red Devils, Jon
Obi Mikel, following the resolution of his move from Lyn Oslo. The
Premiership clubs have been at loggerheads over the Nigerian
teenager all year, with Fifa launching its own investigation into
allegations of threats to the player and his family, but have come
to an agreement that will allow Mikel to move to Stamford Bridge
next season.
Manchester United made their first transfer move of the summer last
night when they joined the pursuit of Marseilles' talented
midfielder Franck Ribéry.
United's chief executive, David Gill, is understood to have made a
verbal offer of £9m for the 23-year-old in a telephone conversation
with the Marseilles president, Pape Diouf, yesterday, although he
may have to call back with the promise of an extra £3m before the
French club entertain the idea of parting with their prized
asset.
A late inclusion in the French World Cup squad, Ribéry is unsettled
at Marseilles and anxious to leave following the recent departure
of manager Jean Fernandez to Auxerre.
Ribéry is currently the subject of a bitter dispute between
Marseilles and the French champions Lyon after the latter's
chairman, Jean-Michel Aulas, was accused of tapping up the winger
at an awards ceremony last week where he was named France's Young
Player of the Year.
"I've given them [United] the same answer as I gave to Lyon and,
although United are stubborn and may try again, that is Ribéry is
not available," Diouf said.
The Marseilles president has claimed it would take an offer of ?45m
(£30.8m) for him to sell Ribéry, who is under contract until 2010,
but with the player agitating for a move a more realistic price is
£12m. United remain confident of landing the midfielder ahead of
the World Cup.
United are expected to receive £10m from Chelsea in the next 24
hours for a teenager who has never played for the Red Devils, Jon
Obi Mikel, following the resolution of his move from Lyn Oslo. The
Premiership clubs have been at loggerheads over the Nigerian
teenager all year, with Fifa launching its own investigation into
allegations of threats to the player and his family, but have come
to an agreement that will allow Mikel to move to Stamford Bridge
next season.
Source: http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/man_united/article623371.ece
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Daniel Taylor
Friday June 2, 2006
The Guardian
Manchester United have failed with an official bid, believed to be
about £9m, for the France international Franck Ribéry. David Gill,
Old Trafford's chief executive, contacted Marseille with a verbal
offer but the French club told him they did not want to sell.
The rebuff is unlikely to prevent United from following up their
interest in a midfielder who was voted Le Championnat's young
player of the year. Ribéry is known to be unsettled at Marseille
after the departure of the coach Jean Fernandez to Auxerre and
United's cause is helped by the fact that the player's agent Bruno
Heiderscheid has been described as "at war" with the Marseille
president Pape Diouf.
Lyon too are interested in Ribéry, 23, who has just broken into the
France team preparing for the World Cup. But Lyon's president
Jean-Michel Aulas allegedly made a clandestine approach to him at
the end of the season and infuriated Marseille by reportedly asking
for his phone number and initiating talk of a transfer.
"United have acted with much more courtesy and delicacy than Lyon,"
Diouf said last night. "The answer I gave [to United] is exactly
the same as I have said to Lyon. They are stubborn and they may try
again, but he is not available."
Diouf said he would change his mind only if offered £35m. But he
also floated the possibility of a part-exchange deal involving
Lyon's former Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord and the Brazilians
Juninho and Kris. "I will agree to let Ribéry go if Lyon give me
three of their best players," he said.
A stylish, attack-minded player, Ribéry has been dubbed the new
Zinédine Zidane in the French press and can play in every midfield
position.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lol.Remember last time the Marseille chairman also say Drogba is
not available?'Intransferable'?And yet where did he go?Haha i think
it depends on the player's decision...
