Soccer Shorts

United eye defender: Manchester United have opened formal talks with Spartak Moscow for their Serbia & Montenegro international defender Nemanja Vidic with a view to bringing him to Old Trafford either in the next month's transfer window or at the end of the season.

Spartak want around £11 million but United value him at much less and a deal could hinge on whether the two clubs can reach a compromise.

At 24, Vidic is regarded as one of the sturdiest defenders in the Russian league and is part of a "fabulous four" Serbian defence that conceded only one goal throughout the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. Fiorentina have also been monitoring his position.

Chelsea seek damages

Chelsea are clear to pursue a compensation claim against former player Adrian Mutu after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled against the striker in his appeal against the Premier League's decision that the club were entitled to end his contract for gross misconduct after he admitted taking cocaine.

Chelsea will bring a claim before Fifa's dispute resolution chamber in the New Year seeking damages on the basis that they were left with no choice other than to sack Mutu in October 2004 after he took drugs and lost considerable value because they were unable to sell or play him. The club believe they have lost out on £8 million, though Fifa will set any compensation figure. Mutu is now with Juventus.

Uefa plan doomed

Uefa's plan for Thierry Henry and Luis Aragones to put on a united front at an anti-racism conference next year appears doomed to failure.

Aragones has yet to publicly apologise for his racist comment about Henry, made to Arsenal team-mate Jose Antonio Reyes during a Spain training session more than a year ago. It led to a fine of just €2,060, a decision Henry criticised, especially in the wake of the racist abuse later directed at England players during their friendly in Madrid last November. Pertinently, however, there is no chance of Henry being in two places at once as the second "uniteagainstracism" conference at Barcelona's Nou Camp takes place on February 1st, the same night Arsenal host West Ham in a Premiership clash at Highbury.

Marseille want Cisse

Olympique Marseille have not given up hope of signing France striker Djibril Cisse from Liverpool even though the negotiations have stalled, the Ligue 1 club said yesterday. "Between Cisse and Marseille there is Liverpool and maybe they don't want to let him go," Marseille sports director Jose Anigo told reporters. "At the moment we're not getting anywhere but sometimes situations that look completely blocked change very quickly."

Marseille want to sign one or two strikers during the winter break with Cisse their preferred target.

In brief . . .

Rangers star Fernando Ricksen will be sidelined for at least a month with a torn stomach muscle . . . West Ham will hold further talks with Maccabi Haifa this weekend about signing Yaniv Katan, despite claims by the Israel striker's lawyer that his client would see out his contract until the summer . . . Chris Coleman has said he would be interested in taking Sean Davis back to Fulham from Tottenham, although it would depend on the transfer fee and wages for the midfielder.