Fresh from spending eight months, on full pay, twiddling his thumbs through – at best – his own stupidity, and from being spotted in London during a ‘chance’ meeting with Peter Kenyon and his agent where ‘football wasn’t discussed’: and only weeks after prices for supporters rose by up to 26% to cover the dwindling profits – Rio has decided that now is the time to play hardball for more money in his new contract.
The loveable Pini Zahavi had this to say yesterday, "He wants to stay at United and the idea is to extend his present deal by another three years. If he doesn't sign a new deal he will leave to play abroad, which has always been one of his ambitions.
"But I think he will stay providing the conditions are right."
Well thanks a fucking bunch Rio. Here is the story on the negotiations from the Times:
‘Manchester United were assured yesterday of the innocent nature of Rio Ferdinand’s meeting with Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, at a London restaurant, but a harsh dose of reality followed as Pini Zahavi, the defender’s agent, gave warning that the cost of keeping the player at Old Trafford would be upwards of £100,000 a week.
‘Zahavi met Gill and Maurice Watkins, United’s solicitor, in London yesterday morning in the hope of resolving Ferdinand’s future, but negotiations ended at lunchtime with an agreement nowhere in sight. Although it was never expected that a new deal would be agreed yesterday, Gill is certain to be concerned by the demands for a six-figure weekly wage at a time when the club are attempting to scale down salaries and by the suggestion that Ferdinand could choose to leave on a free transfer when his present contract expires in June 2007 if no agreement is reached.
‘More discussions are scheduled, but both camps indicated that an agreement was some way off. Zahavi has said that “Rio wants to stay at United and sign a new deal”, but that “the conditions must be right”, whereas United, while willing in principle to increase the player’s wages from about £70,000 a week, are reluctant to break their wage structure in order to accommodate Ferdinand, who might still be perceived to be in the club’s debt after they stood by him when he was suspended for eight months for failing to attend a drugs test.
‘There was a slight discrepancy between Ferdinand’s and Zahavi’s version of events, with the agent contradicting his client’s claim that he had “no idea” Kenyon would be present, but suggestions that a transfer was being discussed appear to be wide of the mark.’