RUUD'S HEADING TO SPAIN

Ruud Van Nistelrooy is expected to join Real Madrid within days after succumbing to the pressure to request a transfer from Manchester United last night.

Ferguson confirmed the news last night in Durban as the start of his team's preseason tour of South Africa was overshadowed by the imminent and highly acrimonious departure of another of the club's most popular players.

The manager will inevitably be accused of driving the 30-year-old out of Old Trafford — as with Jaap Stam, David Beckham, Roy Keane and others in recent seasons — but Van Nistelrooy's decision to request a transfer will at least persuade some that the club was left with no choice but to sell an unhappy player.

“There's a fair bit of interest in Ruud,” Ferguson said. “David Gill (the chief executive is looking after that. There's Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and I think another club as well. David has still to fill me in on that, but obviously something may happen. The situation is that Ruud has asked away and we have to consider that.”

Van Nistelrooy's wishes are thought to have been articulated to Gill yesterday by his agent, Rodger Linse, who travelled to Manchester in the hope of resolving the matter. There were even rumours that the player had been sighted in Madrid yesterday afternoon and, whether these are accurate or not, he is confident that a deal will be struck shortly.

A contract is understood to have been agreed between Linse and Real, who are proposing to pay about £10.5 million. United hope to raise £15 million, but their bargaining position is compromised by Ferguson's determination to sell, even if the player's decision to ask for a move — and thus potentially forfeit any loyalty payments that would have arisen had he been sold “against his wishes” — may have given them some leverage.