Larsson insists he is not staying

Manchester United's hopes of keeping Henrik Larsson to the end of the season appear doomed after the Swedish striker strongly indicated he could not be persuaded into staying longer.

As Larsson prepared for the game here against Lille for his first Champions League tie since winning the final in Paris last season with Barcelona, he said his intention was to return to Helsingborgs when his loan deal expires on March 12th. "I am not saying that I am not flattered or grateful to get the opportunity to extend my stay but there are other things I need to think about," he said, citing family reasons and a sense of duty to Helsingborgs. "The Swedish season starts at the end of March and I need to get back to that. I will stay only until March 12th."

Unless Larsson can be persuaded otherwise his only involvement for United in their attempt to re-establish themselves as European football's top club will come tonight against Lille, followed by the return leg on March 7th, theoretically his farewell match at Old Trafford. Although Larsson is clearly relishing his time under Alex Ferguson, he says the travel is getting him down and he wants to be back with his family. "I am going back and forward and it's not an ideal situation."

United intend to do everything possible to change his mind but it is noticeable, too, that Ferguson seems increasingly resigned to losing the 35-year-old. When Ferguson was asked about Alan Smith's inability to break into the team he remarked that the former Leeds player would be more prominently involved "when", rather than if, Larsson leaves.

Behind the scenes Ferguson is trying his utmost to persuade Larsson that he can play a significant part in what promises to be a season of rich reward. United have been encouraged by the noises emanating from Helsingborgs, who have said they will consider extending Larsson's loan if they receive a suitable fee. Yet the player insists the decision will not be a financial one. "This is a great adventure for me," he said. "I arrived in January and I'm going home in March to play in Sweden. It suits me perfectly."

Larsson described himself as "happy and surprised" he had started the majority of matches and he made a point of thanking the club for doing everything possible to help him acclimatise to life in Manchester. "I came here to be available, to make the best of the opportunity."

The admiration is mutual and Ferguson would be disappointed to lose such a formidable player. While Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo have struggled at times in Europe, certainly in terms of scoring goals, some of the more memorable performances of Larsson's career have been reserved for the Champions League, most notably when his introduction as substitute turned last season's final against Arsenal. "To become a great team you need to win trophies," Larsson said when asked about United's chances of glory. "When I look at this squad, they have a lot of talent. They have players who have been there and done it. Then there are the younger guys who really want to make their mark by winning trophies. They have had some great teams before but only the future will tell if the current side can truly be thought of a great team."

Ferguson feels Larsson has improved the other forwards at the club. "He has made a big impact already," Ferguson said. "I'm sure that since he has arrived players like Wayne Rooney and Luis Saha must have been looking at Henrik in terms of his movement and his awareness of space and they will have been watching his finishing in our training sessions. The bonus for us is if he takes us into the later stages of everything we're challenging for. He's been fantastic for us, his professionalism, his attitude, everything he's done has been excellent."

Guardian Service