United seal Yorke deal

The seemingly lost art of compromise was dramatically restored to English football yesterday when Aston Villa's Dwight Yorke finally became the most expensive player in the history of Manchester United.

The Trinidad and Tobago striker completed a £12 million transfer to Old Trafford yesterday afternoon, so guaranteeing his registration and availability for the Champions League should, as is probable, his new club qualify.

With UEFA's registration deadline passing at midnight, officials of United and Villa had worked throughout Wednesday night to broker a deal.

It was yesterday morning, less than 24 hours after United's manager Alex Ferguson declared Yorke's proposed move "dead in the water", that the prolific forward was told his club had, after all, been made an offer it could not refuse.

The summer's most protracted and most tedious transfer was resurrected after the Midlands club predictably conceded they would rather have a pile of money than a disgruntled player.

Indeed the money was flowing into the Villa coffers yesterday after it was confirmed that a £3 million deal which takes the defender David Unsworth back to his former club Everton had also been sealed.

Unsworth returns to Goodison Park almost exactly 12 months after leaving to join West Ham and just five weeks after arriving at Villa.

As Yorke beamed broadly in Manchester, Villa's manager John Gregory was eating large portions of humble pie.

Although a high percentage of Villa supporters had urged their club to sanction Yorke's departure in a local newspaper poll, Gregory had always insisted that the player would not be permitted to leave unless United agreed to meet what he described as a non-negotiable valuation of £16 million.

The other condition which Gregory imposed - only to withdraw yesterday - was that any deal was to include the £9 million-rated United striker Andy Cole.

United's first bid of £8 million for Yorke was rejected last month, as was a second offer of £10 million six days ago.

But, as the UEFA deadline approached, the PLC arm of world football's wealthiest club gave Ferguson permission to lodge one final bid of £12 million.

Earlier this week the 26-yearold Yorke had told Villa chairman Doug Ellis that he was fully prepared to remain at Villa Park until his contract expired in the summer of 2000 and then leave on a Bosman free transfer.

Gregory launched a verbal attack on Yorke yesterday. "Dwight Yorke came to see me two weeks ago to tell me he wanted to play for Manchester United and not Aston Villa. If I'd had a gun at the time I would have shot him. What he said really hurt. It really got me," he told the Sun.

Gregory has been offered an extension to his contract by chairman Doug Ellis, who had to face a stormy reception at the meeting. He was repeatedly asked why over the years the club's quality players have always been sold.

Colin Cooper has completed a £2.5million move from Nottingham Forest to Middlesbrough, signing a four-year contract.