CONTRACT NEWS

Last updated : 28 January 2004 By Editor

…Unless of course you’ve already heard it and then in that
case you didn’t. No matter though, Red Issue believes that a
new contract for Ruud will be announced either today or
tomorrow. As The Telegraph have already stated, Fergie will
be offered a new contract but only on a one year rolling
basis as requested by Coolmore, and this is expected to be
formally announced after the Ruud deal.

The Telegraph also claims that the terms of the new deal
will not begin until the current one runs out, so no pay
rise for Fergie until 2006.

A source close to the Irish was quoted in the Telegraph
saying: "It means that the United plc board are not beholden
to Ferguson for a huge sum of money over a four-year
contract if they want to get rid of him. That's what
corporate governance guidelines stipulate and they should
apply to Ferguson too."

The Sun thinks different and reports:

‘Alex Ferguson will sign his new Manchester United contract
today. The deal sees the Old Trafford chief given a
£1.5million-a-year pay rise. That puts him on £5m a season —
and is designed to keep him at the club until at least the
summer of 2006.’