CICINHO IN, NEVILLE OUT?

'There hasn't been any offer made to Sao Paulo,'

'He (Cicinho) is in Europe and he must be negotiating with a club because his agent is with him.

'But any negotiation must be accepted by Sao Paulo, who own 60% of Cicinho's sporting rights.'

While Marcelo Gouvea, president of Sao Paulo said: 'I will do everything to keep the player at Sao Paulo but if the English were to pay (US) 12million dollars for his transfer there is nothing I can do to keep him.'

Cicinho was reportedly in Manchester on Wednesday before going back to Brazil.

From the Guardian

Gary Neville's future at Manchester United has been plunged into doubt after it emerged that the club were willing to spend £8m on another right-back, the Brazil international Cicinho.

A week after his brother Phil severed his ties with Old Trafford to join Everton, Neville's position suddenly looks vulnerable with the news that Sir Alex Ferguson has invited the 25-year-old Sao Paulo defender to join the club.

The transfer is far from clear-cut, not least because Milan and Juventus have also expressed firm interest, but Ferguson is optimistic of exploiting a get-out clause in Cicinho's contract to tie up a deal that would have serious ramifications for one of his most loyal and reliable players.

United are acting on information that Cicinho and his agent Juliano Leonel are understood to have visited Milan and Turin over the last few weeks for talks about a move to Serie A.

A fast, attack-minded player, he would represent significant competition for the right-back spot that Neville has made his own over the last 10 years. One certainty is that Neville, who turned 30 in February, will not give up his spot without a fight, but there would also be a strong argument that Cicinho is simply too good to leave out.