Manchester United launch £29m bid for Wesley Sneijder...and eye Inter Milan team-mate Mario Balotelli
By Chris Wheeler Last updated at 10:53 PM on 7th July 2010
Manchester United last night launched a £29million bid for Holland World Cup star Wesley Sneijder and they are ready to compete with arch rivals City for his Inter Milan team-mate, Mario Balotelli.
Inter will listen to offers for unsettled striker Balotelli, but the European champions are determined to keep Sneijder at the San Siro.
His agent, Soren Lerby, said talks with Inter are scheduled after the World Cup to extend the midfielder’s contract — now worth £3.5m a year after tax — until 2015.
But United have made the first move in their attempt to lure him to Old Trafford and Inter president Massimo Moratti confirmed: ‘The interest from Manchester United in Sneijder is real, but I didn’t look into it in an attempt not to fall into temptation.
‘I’m following him at the World Cup and I think I’ll do the same also at Inter for the next years. I still haven’t received a good enough offer for even one player to leave. We will see.’
Moratti has slapped a huge £30m price tag on Balotelli’s head in response to interest from City, and Inter revealed that United are also ready to go head to head with their derby rivals for the talented 19-year-old marksman.
Technical director Marco Branca said: ‘There is also interest from United and City in Balotelli, but it’s very early to say if there will be any business done.
‘He is an Inter player and we have to think about our future.’
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...alotelli.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0t2Jt2Hlb