Manchester United are looking into the possibility of signing Real Madrid’s Arjen Robben according to reports in the Spanish media.

It is believed David Gill, Manchester United’s Chief Executive, has been in dialogue with Real general director Jorge Valdano regarding a potential transfer. Real are believed to be demanding a fee in the region of £20 million. The Madrid giants are desperate to recoup some of the £200 million they’ve spent on transfers this summer and are desperate to offload players before the transfer window closes in 11 days.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has always held the winger in high regard, narrowly missing out on his signature when he joined Chelsea from PSV in 2004. The talented wide man won a host of honours in his time with the Blues, including back-to-back Premier League titles.

Ferguson snubbed the chance to sign Robben earlier in the summer due to concerns regarding his long-term fitness. However, he is desperate for a player of international pedigree, and Ferguson is ready to freshen his attack and is prepared to take a gamble at the right price.

Recent relations have vastly improved between Madrid and United. Last year the United chief angrily hit out at Ramon Calderon’s regime when he said “I would not sell that lot a virus” after there dirty tactics to unsettle Ronaldo.

New president Florentino Perez made it a priority to repair the damage and offered an olive branch once he was elected. United are optimistic there’s room for negotiation on the price and don’t see Robben turning down the move in a World Cup year.

No comments: