WHO IS AND WHO ISN'T?

A RI source rang in last week with the news that Fergie had signalled Veron’s time was up, though it’s fair to say everyone’s been surprised by the speed of the deal with Chelsea. The source also claimed that Duff was the main target after Ronaldinho.

From the Guardian:

Manchester United and Paris St-Germain officials will spend today finalising Ronaldinho's transfer, with the French club confident they can squeeze a fee of €30m from Old Trafford.

United's offer - worth €28m (£19m) - tabled last Friday fell marginally short of PSG's valuation of the 23-year-old Brazilian, with the club conscious that he is entitled to 20% of any fee. Talks continued over the weekend and will gather pace today in an attempt to conclude a transfer which has crawled forward at an infuriating pace all summer.

Ronaldinho has already agreed personal terms with United on a deal worth £60,000 a week. For all the PSG president Francis Graille's publicly aired misgivings at the way the English champions have conducted negotiations with Ronaldinho and his agent Roberto Assis behind PSG's back, the Brazilian has made it clear he hopes to move to Old Trafford.

United are anxious to complete the signing before they travel to the United States on a pre-season tour at the end of the week.

But perhaps United have accepted Duff is also Chelsea-bound. The Mirror claims:

United have had a £11million bid for Real Betis's brilliant right winger Joaquin Sanchez turned down by the Spanish club.

United have offered cash plus Diego Forlan for the powerhouse wide man who claims he will be "better than Beckham one day".

Chief executive Peter Kenyon has been negotiating for Joaquin for the past week but Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera has rejected the bids so far.

However, Joaquin, who returns from his holiday tomorrow, wants to go to Old Trafford and the deal is still on despite the imminent arrival of Ronaldinho.

Joaquin's agent and father Angel Sanchez claims that United have watched his son play a dozen times in the past year. Relations between Joaquin and the president are bad over his refusal to sign a new contract.

Lopera claimed he would "loan Joaquin to Russia or Turkey" to ruin his career if he did not commit to a long-term agreement with the Seville-based club.