Manchester United and Inter agree €40m fee for Wesley Sneijder as negotiations continue on personal terms

The Premier League champions will step up negotiations with the Dutch international's representatives as they seek a compromise over his €227,000-a-week stance

Manchester United have agreed a €40 million club record fee with Inter for the transfer of Wesley Sneijder, Goal.comcan reveal.

But Sneijder's wage demands are currently holding up the deal from being close to completion. Sources have told Goal.com that the player's camp have indicated they want around€227,000-a-week but United are reluctant to pay more than €193,000-a-week.


Nevertheless, the Premier League champions are hoping to reach a compromise over the difference as the prospect of a switch that would smash United's transfer record grows increasingly likely.


Senior officials from the two clubs are understood to have shaken hands on the terms of the deal after United chief executive David Gill made it clear the Premier League champions are willing to meet Inter's asking price in a series of meetings in recent days.


United have confirmed that Gill was in Zurich on Wednesday, where an Inter delegation was also present, to attend a European Club Association meeting but an Inter source told Goal.com that he had been in Milan on Tuesday and early on Wednesday to lead Sneijder negotiations with another Old Trafford director.

United's focus will now turn to agreeing personal terms with the Holland international, who is regarded by the club as a natural heir to the recently retired Paul Scholes. An official bid will follow if the 19-times English champions are confident they can meet the player's demands.


It is believed that the 2011 Champions League finalists could attempt to meet the shortfall in the two parties' positions with bonus-related payments or an enhanced image rights deal

Sneijder is currently at Inter's pre-season training camp at Pinzolo in Italy. The deal will now depend on his desire to force through a move to Old Trafford, which offers him an excellent chance to add to an already impressive medal haul which includes domestic titles in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, in addition to the 2010 Champions League.


He has a contract at San Siro that expires in 2015 and would be content to see it out if a transfer fails to materialise this summer, hence his reluctance to agitate in public for a move.

New Inter manager Gian Piero Gasperini has told the Inter hierarchy that he does not see the Holland star as indispensable as he prepares to field a new 3-4-3 formation next season.

Despite the negotiations, Sir Alex Ferguson has attempted to cool talk of Sneijder moving to Old Trafford this summer.

The United boss, currently in America as part of the club's pre-season preparations, toldESPN

: "I keep reading about this, there's absolutely nothing at all to that.

"First of all I don't think Inter are prepared to sell him anyway.

"You get conjecture and you get speculation every week in newspapers unfortunately.

"And we have to answer these for some reason - why, I don't know, but we have to find a reason without adding insult to any particular club, or embarrassing any particular player. There's nothing we can do about it."

As in Goal.com

Nike emerge as key to Wesley Sneijder completing €40m transfer from Inter to Manchester United

Sportswear giants prepared to help facilitate move to Old Trafford by closing the gap between United's offer and Dutchman's wage demands, which are threatening to derail talks

Sportswear giants Nike have emerged as key to Wesley Sneijder completing a €40 (£35.2) million move toManchester United.

The US-based firm sponsor Sneijder and supply the Premier League champions' kit and could be ready to step in and pay a percentage of the Dutchman's wages to ensure the club record transfer goes through.

Nike did the same when Brazilian striker Ronaldo made his move from Barcelona to Inter while their commercial rivals Adidas, who sponsor Real Madrid, were heavily involved in smoothing through the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham to the Bernabeu.


United have been trying to secure a deal for Sneijder this week, with chief executive David Gill staying behind from the club's pre-season tour of the US to hold talks with senior Inter officials in Milan.

Goal.com understands that United have indicated they will meet Inter's €40m asking price but negotiations have stalled over personal demands. The player's camp have indicated they want around €228,000 (£200,000) a week but United are reluctant to pay more than €194,000 (£170,000) a week.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson declared on Thursday that "there's no interest in Wesley Sneijder at this moment in time for a lot of reasons", sources have said that the deal is still very much alive.

The 27-year-old wants to move to Old Trafford and Ferguson regards the player as the final piece in his summer transfer jigsaw, while new Inter manager Gian Piero Gasperini views Sneijder as expendable as he prepares to field a new 3-4-3 formation next season.

United have lost Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Edwin van der Sar, Wes Brown and John O'Shea from their wage bill but have replaced them with David de Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones, and with annual interest payments of £45m per year to meet debt repayments they do not possess the funds of neighbours Manchester City or Chelsea.


Nevertheless, senior Nike officials are keen for Sneijder to move to Old Trafford because United's global brand and reach in markets such as the Far East and Latin America far outweighs that of Inter, who are also sponsored by the commerical giant, and they can help enhance the exposure of the Holland international.


It is increasingly common for major sponsors to play instrumental roles in mega-money transfers of marquee players.


A source close to the negotiations told Goal.com: "If Nike wants you to move then you will move. Nike wants Sneijder to Manchester United because it is easier for them to use him as a commercial icon.

"If United will only pay the same salary as Rooney and there is a gap between what they can offer and what the player wants, then Nike will pay the gap. It was the same with Adidas when they bought Cristiano Ronaldo and Beckham. When top players go to Real Madrid, Adidas are always involved in things financially."


Coincidentally, Nike have opened talks with United over a new kit deal to replace the current £23.5m-a-year package, which has been dwarfed by those recently signed by the French national team and Barcelona.

As reported at Goal.com

Ferguson: No Nasri deal for United

Manchester United's pursuit of Arsenal's Samir Nasri looks to be at an end after Sir Alex Ferguson said he thought the Frenchman had "agreed to go elsewhere".

Speaking in Boston as United begin their three-week tour of the United States, Ferguson was asked at a press conference about a player for whom his club are reported to have made an offer.

"Nasri, no. I don't think he's coming to United," said Ferguson. "I think he's agreed to go somewhere else. Maybe he has to stay at Arsenal too. That's a possibility."

Ferguson was guarded on a next signing to follow those of Ashley Young, David De Gea and Phil Jones, with midfield largely expected to be the next reinforced department following the retirement of Paul Scholes.

"How do you replace somebody like Paul Scholes? It's very difficult," said Ferguson of a player who is set to join his coaching staff after his testimonial.

"If you bracket four of the best midfield players in the world he'd be alongside Xavi and Iniesta and then you take your pick. In my mind he's one of the top four players in the world. How will we overcome it? Maybe the next few weeks will help us overcome it. Maybe somebody will emerge out of the youth team or one of the young players ermerge, and then we carry on."

Luka Modric, most likely headed for Chelsea, and Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder are the midfield names also linked with a move to Old Trafford. Owen Hargreaves has taken his leave of the club and Darren Fletcher has missed the current tour, as his recovery from a virus that wrecked his 2010-11 season is still by no means complete.

United face New England Revolution on Wednesday, in a game that Ferguson promised he would not be taking lightly.

Sunderland sign Wes Brown and john O'Shea

Sunderland have confirmed the signing of defender Wes Brown and O'Shea from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee. The players has agreed a four-year contract.

All the best for two of the most dependable assets when everything looks so terrible. This surely a bargain for the Black cats but invaluable in terms of player experience and mental strength.

Ostensibly a central defender, he can also play at right-back and with O'Shea equally comfortable across the back four as well as in midfield, Bruce could have healthy options at the back next season.