Stoke swoop for Shawcross

Stoke City claim to have completed the permanent transfer of United defender Ryan Shawcross in a deal initially worth £1million.

The 20-year-old defender has been in superb form on loan at the Britannia Stadium this season, scoring an amazing seven goals, and the Potters moved swiftly to secure his signature amid interest from other clubs in the Premier League and Championship.

As well as the initial £1million fee, United are reportedly set to reap up to the same amount again dependent on appearances and the possibility of Stoke winning promotion.

Potters manager Tony Pulis told the Sentinel: "Four clubs from the Premiership and Championship were chasing him, so to win the race is a tremendous result for us.

"I think a big factor in our favour was how happy Ryan is here, so the dressing room deserves a big pat on the back. If the spirit in there hadn't been so good, he might have been tempted to go elsewhere.

"He's a big, likeable lad who everyone seems to have taken to since he has been here. Despite coming from Manchester United, there has been no 'big-time Charlie's airs' about him. He's simply got his head down and worked hard with the rest of the lads. He' been a credit to himself and to Manchester United.

"He's still only a lad of 20 who's going to be a bit naive and will make mistakes. But what we have bought is potential because over the next two years he will develop into a top, top defender."

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Brazilian twins set for switch to United

Manchester United are preparing to announce the signing of Fabio and Rafael Silva, Brazil’s answer to the Neville brothers. The 17-year-old twins, who are identical, are scheduled to arrive in Manchester on Monday to join United in a joint £5.2 million transfer from Fluminense, a deal that has been two and a half years in the planning. Like Gary and Phil Neville, the Silva brothers are full backs, with Rafael operating on the right flank and Fabio on the left, even though both are right-footed. They caught Sir Alex Ferguson’s eye in a youth tournament in Hong Kong in 2005, during United’s preseason tour to Asia, and signed precontract agreements with the Barclays Premier League club when they turned 16 in July 2006. Initially the plan was for them to move to Manchester this summer, but the deal has been brought forward now that they have received the necessary paperwork. The twins excelled for Brazil in the Under-17 World Cup finals in South Korea last August, with Fabio, the captain, finishing as his country’s leading scorer.

Oliver Kay, The Times.

The Sun and The Telegraph say that Real Madrid will not give up their interest in Cristiano Ronaldo as they plan to shatter the world transfer record to bring the winger to Spain this summer.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports that some United fans are "furious" with the proposed move to search fans for drugs at this weekend's clash with Reading at the Madjeski Stadium.

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Gilberto Reds link

Man Utd deal on cards says Hertha's Gilberto

Hertha Berlin's Gilberto has emerged as a candidate to give United extra cover at left back. The 31-year-old's agent Alexandra Martins claimed agreement with United was close after talks on a new deal at his German club broke down over his demand for £1.75million a year. Gilberto's contract runs out at the end of the season and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to snap up the tough-tackling left-sided defender or midfielder. Gilberto said: "I have received offers from England, Portugal and Brazil. I have become accustomed to winning trophies with Brazil and would like to do the same at club level." Hertha general manager Dieter Hoeness said: "Trying to extend his contract is a priority for us."
Daily Mail

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is assuring Sir Alex Ferguson that he does not need a rest. This time last year, Ronaldo set off to Dubai for a five-day break but he has no plans to do so this year as he wants to play every game.

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Transfer Rumours: Jan 08

Klaas Jan Huntelaar is being touted by various UK newspapers as the most likely United signing should Sir Alex Ferguson dip into the market during the January transfer window.

The Dutch striker has been linked with a move to United on numerous occasions but speculation is heating up that Huntelaar will sign for the Reds.

Rumours still abound that Berbatov may come to OT while Hertha Berlin’s Gilberto and Lyon’s Benzema have expressed an interest in joining United.

Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill have both insisted Ronaldo is going nowhere despite Real Madrid’s interest but debate still remains over Wes Brown’s future.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar is being touted by various UK newspapers as the most likely United signing should Sir Alex Ferguson dip into the market during the January transfer window.

The Dutch striker has been linked with a move to United on numerous occasions but speculation is heating up that Huntelaar will sign for the Reds.

Rumours still abound that Berbatov may come to OT while Hertha Berlin’s Gilberto and Lyon’s Benzema have expressed an interest in joining United.

Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill have both insisted Ronaldo is going nowhere despite Real Madrid’s interest but debate still remains over Wes Brown’s future. Read More..

Reds duo extend loans

United youngsters Darron Gibson and Frazier Campbell have extended their loan deals in the Championship.

Republic of Ireland international Gibson will stay at Wolverhampton Wanderers until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old midfielder has excelled at Molineux, making 13 appearances for Mick McCarthy's side this season.

Campbell, too, has impressed in his loan spell with Hull City.

The 20-year-old striker has helped the Tigers rise to ninth in the Championship with six goals in 13 starts at The KC Stadium.

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Evans joins Black Cats

Sunderland have signed United defender Jonny Evans on loan until the end of the season.

The centre-back, who turned 20 this week, enjoyed a successful spell on loan at the Stadium of Light last season as Roy Keane's men earned promotion to the Premier League.

Sunderland attempted to re-sign Evans again at the start of the 2007/08 campaign, but Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to keep the Northern Ireland international as defensive cover.

Evans has made three appearances for the Reds this season - once in the Carling Cup and twice in the Champions League. He is yet to make a Premier League appearance for United and his first top-flight experience will now come for the Mackems.

The Sunderland official website reports that Evans will go straight into Keane's squad for Saturday's FA Cup third round clash with Wigan Athletic at the Stadium of Light.

Evans becomes the third United youngster this week to go out on loan. Kieran Lee has joined QPR and Michael Barnes has signed for Chesterfield. Both loan deals are until the end of the season.

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Reds laugh off Ronny rumours

Sir Alex Ferguson has labelled the latest bout of claims that Real Madrid are set to snatch Cristiano Ronaldo from Old Trafford as "nonsense".

The 22-year-old winger has once again proved he is among the world's elite players with some scintillating performances and 19 goals this term.

Speculation in Spain's press has suggested the La Liga giants are ready to move for Ronaldo, a rumour Sir Alex has become accustomed to.

"I anticipated this," Sir Alex said somewhat wearily. "In the New Year you almost expect it.

"The thing about this story is that it has been claimed that David Gill has been speaking to Real Madrid. That is a complete lie. We have never spoken to them. The story depends on agents and their imaginations.

"At best it's mischievous, but I just dismiss it because it's nonsense. But who wouldn’t be interested in Ronaldo? That’s why we bought him."

Sir Alex again all but ruled out any moves in the January transfer market. Other than potential loan deals for some of the Reds' younger players, it should be a quiet month on the transfer front. "It's unlikely we will be making any moves," he added.

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Reds reject bid for Wes

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the Reds have turned down an offer from Newcastle United for defender Wes Brown.

The 28-year-old, whose current contract runs until the summer, is free to speak to other clubs having stalled on signing a new deal with the Reds.

Contract negotiations have been ongoing between Brown and United for most of the season. The Reds made a final offer just before Christmas but the England international is yet to put pen to paper.

Sir Alex now insists the matter is completely in Brown's hands.

"There was an enquiry from Newcastle about Wes and we turned it down," the United boss confirmed on Friday.

"The matter rests with Wes and his agent. We'll just wait and see what happens. Our offer is still there - it's now up to Wes."

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Ramos: Berba Stays

Spurs boss Juande Ramos last night insisted Dimitar Berbatov will see out the season at White Hart Lane. The 11-goal Bulgarian striker gave a subdued display in yesterday's defeat at Aston Villa and his negative body language backed up claims by agent Emil Danthchev that he wants to quit for Manchester United after stalling on a new Spurs deal. But Ramos is determined to retain the £44,000-a-week marksman and claims he will honour his original contract which ties him to the club until 2010. Ramos said: "Berbatov's agent is looking to do his business and he is making these comments but we are happy because we have the player on a contract and we plan to keep him."
James Nursey, The Sun

In The Telegraph, United are linked with a second shock move to sign Henrik Larsson on loan, following the Swede's successful 10-week cameo at Old Trafford last season.

Following United's narrow win over Birmingham, all the tabloids focus on the game's major talking points - the muted Old Trafford crowd and Carlos Tevez's unorthodox celebration with his daughter's dummy. 'Dummies 1 Brummies 0' says The Star; 'You Suck' exclaims The Mirror and 'Dumb and Dummy' quips The Express. Read More..

Reds defender joins Valiants

Reserves defender Adam Eckersley has joined League One side Port Vale on a permanent transfer.

The 22-year-old left-sided defender came through the ranks at Old Trafford during a 13-year affiliation with the club but, with limited senior opportunities on the horizon, he has moved permanently to the west midlands.

Eckersley, whose brother Richard has also been a regular in the Reserves this season, spent a month on loan at Vale Park late last year.

Despite being sent off in only his second appearance and subsequently suffering a knee injury, Eckersley made a sufficient impression for Vale manager Lee Sinnott to move as soon as the January transfer window opened.

"I'm happy to be back," Adam told the official Port Vale website. "It's a good club with good people here and I believe we have a good chance of staying up in League One."

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Boss unveils new signing

United has reached agreement with Petro Athletico of Luanda to sign Mateus Alberto Contreiras Goncalves – "Manucho."

The 24-year-old Angolan international striker, who has scored twice in 10 appearances for his country, has agreed personal terms and will join the Club in January on a 3-year agreement. An application for a work permit will be made in due course.He was top goalscorer in the last two seasons of the GiraBola, finishing with 16 goals for Petro Luanda in 2006 and 15 goals this year. Manucho will be part of the Angolan squad for the African Nations Cup in January.

Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted by the new arrival, saying: “We have had Manucho here for a 3-week trial and have been impressed enough to offer him a 3-year contract.

"He is a tall, agile and quick forward and through contacts that Carlos [Queiroz] has was brought to our attention around six months ago.”

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Back for Berbatov?

Fergie back for Berbatov

Sir Alex Ferguson has stepped up his efforts to sign Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov by offering Wes Brown and Louis Saha - plus £6million in exchange. Fergie wants to push through a January move for Berbatov after failing with his initial bid for the Bulgaria striker in the summer. The Manchester United manager refuses to be put off, and is now hoping Berbatov's recent unrest at White Hart Lane will smooth the path to a move. While Fergie is willing to negotiate, Spurs want United's Portuguese winger Nani to be part of any deal involving their star striker. But United are adamant that Nani, who joined for £17million from Sporting Lisbon, is staying at Old Trafford and Fergie has no interest in making the 20-year-old part of the deal.
John Cross, Daily Mirror

In other transfer news, The Sun claims Avram Grant has won the race to sign Nicolas Anelka. Chelsea boss Grant is convinced a £10million January deal for the Bolton hitman, who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, is in the bag.

The Daily Mail says Wes Brown will end his 11-year association with United by moving to Newcastle as a free agent next summer. The defender is stalling on a new contract from the champions and has told friends that he will not sign.

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Evra: No contract talks yet

Patrice Evra has revealed that he is yet to begin negotiations over a new contract, despite press rumours to the contrary.

The Frenchman's superb form this season has prompted newspaper talk of a new deal but, while Evra is keen to prolong his time in Manchester, there is no rush to begin negotiations.

"I have one year left after this one," he is quoted as telling The Daily Express. "People think I have extended my contract. But it is not true. We have not even started to discuss it. It is said the club want to prolong (the deal), but there is nothing for the moment."

The 26-year-old full back has become a mainstay in the miserly United backline this season, juggling his defensive duties with a bombarding support to the Reds' attack, and he is revelling in life at Old Trafford.

"I think I have found the right balance, the one I have always sought between my attacking and defending," he said. "These days I have kept my attacking desire, but I have learnt to love the combat.

"I have the feeling I started my job when signing here. It is another planet. I do not know how long I will stay, but having this experience is a privilege. United have this identity. I have a growing love for this club. I feel Mancunian deep down."

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Veloso is top target

United chase £20m Veloso

Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz has admitted that bringing Sporting Lisbon wonder-kid Miguel Veloso to Old Trafford has become a "priority". Veloso, 21, is on United's wanted list - but Real Madrid, Arsenal and Inter Milan are all monitoring him closely. Queiroz says Veloso is among the top young players in the world, and United are considering making a move even though Sporting have stuck a £20million price tag on his head. "It is impossible to ignore good players and we are following the evolution of some top players," said Queiroz. "One is Veloso. He would be hard to ignore."
Staff writer, Daily Mirror

The papers roundly praise Cristiano Ronaldo for his stunning, match-winning free-kick. The Daily Mail described it as his "customary brilliance", the Mirror called it "exquisite", while The Sun said his strike was a "wonder-goal".

Sir Alex Ferguson supposedly told a "pal", who then told The Sun, that Jose Mourinho should be the next England manager. "If the FA consult me about it, I'll give them a shortlist of one - and tell them to get Mourinho," the United boss is reported to have been telling his mates. Read More..

Transfer Rumours: Oct 07

Although the transfer window will not open again until January, a number of players are already being linked with mid-season moves to Old Trafford.

The most surprising name put forward is that of Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, whose situation at Barcelona is being monitored by United, according to the Star on Sunday.

Having missed out on signing the influential playmaker when David Beckham left Old Trafford in 2003, and with a wealth of attacking talent already in place, the chances of such a move materialising are slim.

Meanwhile, following rumours that United will rival Arsenal for the signature of defender Miguel Veloso, Sporting Lisbon have denied that the Reds have first option to sign the Portuguese U21 international.

Monaco striker Jeremy Menez is tipped to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between United and Liverpool, who have both been alerted by the 20-year-old striker's displays this season.

According to the tabloids, United are definitely looking at the younger end of the market, with 17-year-old Nigerian starlet Macauley Chrisantus also linked, along with Partizan Belgrade's Stevan Jovetic. Read More..