Manchester United last night launched a £29million bid for
Holland World Cup star Wesley Sneijder and they are ready to
compete with arch rivals City for his Inter Milan team-mate, Mario
Balotelli.
Inter will listen to offers for unsettled striker Balotelli, but
the European champions are determined to keep Sneijder at the San
Siro.
His agent, Soren Lerby, said talks with Inter are scheduled
after the World Cup to extend the midfielder’s contract — now worth
£3.5m a year after tax — until 2015.
United target: Wesley Sneijder is wanted at Old
Trafford
But United have made the first move in their attempt to lure him
to Old Trafford and Inter president Massimo Moratti confirmed: ‘The
interest from Manchester United in Sneijder is real, but I didn’t
look into it in an attempt not to fall into temptation.
‘I’m following him at the World Cup and I think I’ll do the same
also at Inter for the next years. I still haven’t received a good
enough offer for even one player to leave. We will see.’
The future's bright: Sneijder has found the back of
the net five times in the World Cup
Moratti has slapped a huge £30m price tag on Balotelli’s head in
response to interest from City, and Inter revealed that United are
also ready to go head to head with their derby rivals for the
talented 19-year-old marksman.
Technical director Marco Branca said: ‘There is also interest
from United and City in Balotelli, but it’s very early to say if
there will be any business done.
‘He is an Inter player and we have to think about our
future.’
We're Inter you: Mario Balotelli is a hot
property
United have played down speculation linking left back Patrice
Evra with a move to Barcelona or Juventus.
The France captain was at the centre of a player revolt in his
country’s World Cup debacle, but the decision to give him an extra
week off this summer was taken in May due to Evra’s marathon
60-game season and for no other reason.
In fact, United believe that Manchester will be the best place
for him to escape the ongoing row in France so that he can get back
to enjoying his football once more after the debacle in South
Africa.
Evra’s international team-mate, Patrick Vieira, says he will not
play for France again even if he receives a call from new national
boss Laurent Blanc because he wants to dedicate the final years of
his career helping Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City win
trophies.
City have signed Slovakian Albert Rusnak on a three-year deal
from MFK Kosice after the forward impressed on trial.
