CARRICK IN AS RUUD HEADS TO MADRID

Their first strike in the summer transfer market has been a long time coming but Manchester United have finally sealed the deal for Michael Carrick - albeit it at a high price. The Tottenham midfielder could cost them as much as £18m, while Real Madrid claimed last night that they had completed the deal for United's striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Carrick transfer was concluded in the small hours of yesterday morning and the 25-year-old was understood to be in Manchester yesterday with the likelihood he will be announced as a United player today. Around 6.30pm, Madrid announced on their website that Van Nistelrooy had signed a three-year deal at the club, following the acrimonious year-long breakdown in his relationship with United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

The announcement from Madrid came just one day after Ferguson had mocked the Spanish club's "two bob" improvement in their offer, although it is understood that Van Nistelrooy is set to leave for around £11m. It is some irony that the fee for a player who scored 150 goals for United in five years will not be enough to cover the cost of Carrick.

United last night stated that Van Nistelrooy had been given permission to travel to Madrid for a medical, but that a a deal had not been finalised.

While it is not clear what conditions Carrick will have to fulfil at United for Tottenham to receive payments up to £18m - they are likely to be dependent on United's success in the Premiership and Champions' League - he has certainly not come cheap. Sources at Tottenham have indicated that, had United held out, they may have been prepared to accept as little as £12m towards the end of August.