Transfer news: Juan Sebastian Veron could follow David Beckham out of Old Trafford. Juventus contacted Manchester United in April and have confirmed to the Italian press that, along with the Lazio forward Bernardo Corradi, he will be their main transfer target this summer.
According to Tutto Sport, Juventus are proposing a €20 million package, with the fee to be paid in three equal instalments.
Alternatively, Juventus are willing to negotiate a swap deal with Edgar Davids or Lilian Thuram, two of the players Alex Ferguson admires most. Davids has only a year remaining on his contract and Juventus want to sell him now rather than lose him on a Bosman next summer. Thuram wants to leave because of his deteriorating relationship with the coach Marcelo Lippi. United tried to dismiss the story as speculation, but Pini Zihavi, one of the agents who was instrumental in the club signing Veron, admitted last night he was aware of Juventus's interest.
Juventus are close to agreeing a swap deal involving Marco Di Vaio with Corradi and are said to have identified Veron as a replacement for Davids. It is highly improbable, however, Ferguson would sanction a cash-only transfer, particularly at a price roughly half the £28.1 million United paid Lazio two years ago. Veron has three years remaining on his contract, and whereas Ferguson is determined to end Beckham's United career - he has not spoken to the England captain "for months", according to Beckham's father Ted - the United manager will be dismayed by the idea of losing the Argentina international.
If Juventus follow up their inquiries, the most pertinent issues are whether United's plc consider it a realistic price at a time when the transfer market is so deflated and whether Ferguson would be willing to sacrifice Veron if it meant bringing in Davids or Thuram. Pavel Nedved is the one Juventus player Ferguson craves, but the Czech Republic midfielder has committed his future to the Italian champions.
Much will depend on how quickly United tie up Beckham's £25 million move to Spain. Milan reiterated they were not interested yesterday and even the Barcelona newspapers acknowledged Real Madrid have emerged as favourites to sign Beckham, with reports claiming he has signed a pre-contract agreement and is due at the Bernabeu on June 23rd.
Real's sporting director, Jorge Valdano, added fuel to the fire when he appeared on Spanish TV yesterday and implied Beckham was a Madrid target.
"There are icons in football and Beckham is one of them," he said, before suggesting Beckham would provide a north European balance to the team. "We have a lot of south in our side; we have Ronaldo, Zidane with his Arab blood, Argentinians, Spanish and in general a lot of representation from the Latin world," he said. "Beckham is the north. I think that at the moment he is a compliment to the other ingredients that would be especially attractive."
Yet one of the negotiators working on behalf of United said, contrary to Beckham's statement on Tuesday, his advisers had been negotiating with Barcelona's presidential candidate Joan Laporta for three weeks.
Ronaldinho's proposed transfer to Old Trafford also is engulfed in confusion, with Real Madrid and Valencia pushing United. The Brazilian will today meet Paris St-Germain's president, Francis Graille, and the directors of the club's owners, Canal Plus, to reiterate he wants to move but, with so many potential buyers involved, United will have to increase their £9 million bid.
Guardian Service
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