SCRAPING THE BARRELL

From the Mirror:

Sir Alex Ferguson will move to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack during the January transfer window.

The Manchester United boss sees the German as the ideal long-term replacement for Roy Keane.

Ballack, in the last year of his contract, will be free to talk to other clubs on January 1 and United are already preparing a pre-contract agreement.

United could have made a move in the summer, with Bayern willing to accept £8million for the German international.

But they opted to wait and try to sign him when he becomes a free agent on a lucrative £90,000-a-week deal.

From the MEN:

Ruud van Nistelrooy has rocketed up the official Premiership player rankings after his brace against Fulham.

The Dutchman scored his sixth and seventh league goals of the season - already going one better than his tally for the whole of last season.

His Craven Cottage strikes have sent him into fifth position in the Actim Index, a system that awards points to players for positive actions such as goals, passes or tackles.

Chelsea's Frank Lampard tops the list, followed by Charlton's Darren Bent and Chelsea's Damien Duff and William Gallas.

Wayne Rooney, in tenth, is United's next highest player. Rio Ferdinand is nowhere.