Real Madrid wins from Manchester United

Manchester United 1-2 Real Madrid (Agg 2-3)

Ronaldo pounces decisively after Nani sees red
The Spanish giants score twice in three second half minutes through Luka Modric and the former Old Trafford favourite after a controversial Nani red card for a foul on Arbeloa

 

Cristiano Ronaldo came back to haunt 10-man Manchester United as Real Madrid booked their place in the Champions League quarter-final with a dramatic and controversial 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

With the tie finely balanced at 1-1 following the first leg in Spain, United struck first through an own goal by Sergio Ramos early in the second half but the game turned on its head after Nani was sent-off in the 56th minute for a high boot in a challenge with Alvaro Arbeloa.

Real Madrid used their man advantage and sealed the aggregate victory with two goals in three minutes. Substitute Luka Modric equalised with a stunning strike from 25 yards before Ronaldo slid in at the far post to break the hearts of supporters who gave him a hero's reception before kick-off.

The result completes a wonderful week for the Spanish giants following two wins over bitter rivals Barcelona and the visiting fans saluted coach Jose Mourinho as they target an historic 10th European crown.

Ronaldo had a relatively quiet game on his first return to Old Trafford since his £80m transfer in 2009 but the script was always written for the Portuguese forward to have the final say.

He may not have done so were it not for referee Cuneyt Cakir, who infuriated United with his decision to show a red card to Nani. The United winger appeared to be challenging for the ball and certainly meant no harm to Arbeloa, but the consequence of his dismissal was that the home side's gameplan, which had worked so well to that point, was ruined.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a hugely bold decision of only naming Wayne Rooney as a substitute for United, with Ryan Giggs making his 1000th career appearance in central midfield in the absence of Phil Jones with an ankle injury. Nemanja Vidic returned at centre-back in place of Jonny Evans after the United captain missed the first leg.

There were no such surprises in the Real Madrid line-up, with Gonzalo Higuain selected ahead of Karim Benzema to lead the attack as Jose Mourinho returned to his first choice starting XI having rested a number of players in the 2-1 win over Barcelona on Saturday.

Mourinho claimed this clash between two of the biggest clubs in the Europe would "stop the world" and stars past and present were in attendance at Old Trafford for this showpiece occasion, from Diego Maradona to Gareth Bale.

Ferguson called on the crowd to "turn up the volume" in his pre-match programme notes and Old Trafford was a cauldron of noise at the teams made their way out of the tunnel at the Stretford End,  with the home fans unveiling a mosaic in support of their team.

As the team line-ups were read out, Ronaldo's name was greeted with an enormous roar from all sides of the stadium, the former United man looking choked as he patted his chest and raised an arm to acknowledge the reception.

Ferguson predicted an attacking game but set out to stifle Real and counter-attack, with his plan working almost perfectly in the first half as they restricted the visitors and came closest to opening the scoring.

United captain Vidic thought he had scored in the 21st minute but his thumping header from Giggs’ corner rattled against the post before Danny Welbeck, admittedly in an offside position, mishit the rebound straight at Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez.

In the 34th minute, Lopez was again forced in to action as he made a hash of his attempt to save Robin van Persie’s shot from a tight angle and had to react quickly to deflect Welbeck’s rebound over the crossbar with his shoulder.

But the hosts had to wait less than three minutes after the break to take the lead.

After Madrid defenders blocked two United shots in the penalty area, the ball landed at Nani's feet on the left. The Portuguese winger played the ball into the box and, after the faintest touch off Welbeck, Ramos could only turn it into his own net.

The turning point, however, came in the 56th minute when Nani was shown a straight red card by Turkish referee Cakir for a high foot in a 50-50 challenge with Arbeloa. On first viewing, it looked a harsh decision and it certainly left Ferguson and the United players fuming with the officials.

Mourinho responded to the man advantage by bringing on Modric for Arbeloa and the former Tottenham midfielder levelled the score in the 66th minute. After picking the ball up 30 yards from goal, Modric breezed past Tom Cleverley and struck a thunderous effort in off the post from 25 yards.

Three minutes later, Real Madrid took the lead for the first time in the tie. Higuain fizzed a low cross along the six-yard box and Ronaldo used all of his predatory instincts to slide in at the far post and end United's European campaign.

Source: goal.com

Ferguson vs Mourinho

Ferguson: “Real is one of the best squads in counterattacks and they set a superb example in the Camp Nou”

 “The key is to score early; I’d like to thank the fans at the Bernabeu for the ovation they gave me because it’s positive when the rival’s fans appreciate you so much”, said Giggs, who could make his 1,000 official appearance

 

 Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs spoke to the media in the press room at Old Trafford. The Manchester United manager analyzed the second leg of the Champions League round of 16: "Both teams are in great form. I was there at the second leg of the Copa semifinals at Camp Nou and Real Madrid played very well. We’ve been more consistent for a while now, but it's a matchup between two of Europe’s biggest sides. The key is in how to defend. Real is one of the best squads in counterattacks and they set a superb example in the Camp Nou. Our job is to fight against this. Both teams are going to score”. Giggs, meanwhile, thanked the ovation he received in the Bernabeu in the first leg and spoke about the circumstances that can tip the match: "The key is to score early; I’d like to thank the fans at the Bernabeu for the ovation they gave me because it’s positive when the rival’s fans appreciate you so much”.

When asked about the importance of the match and the way to motivate his payers, the Manchester United boss said: “You can tell by the amount of photographers who were at the training session. It’s an important event and a night like we always want. The Champions League gives us the chance to play against some of Europe’s biggest sides. If you're preparing for a game of football against any rival you have to pay respect to the strengths of the other team. I always tell my players that I trust my group and know that they trust in each other. The coaching staff has experience and we’re going to be very prepared. The most important thing is trust”. Regarding the state of the pitch, Ferguson said: “It’s better than it was three weeks ago. It was good last Saturday and I’m sure that it’s helped that Real Madrid trains at Manchester City’s pitch. It won’t be a problem and it can’t be an excuse”.

Ferguson also had words of praise for Cristiano Ronaldo: “When we face a team that has Cristiano Ronaldo you expect problems, but we’re going to try to limit the effect he has on the match. It’s not a coincidence that he’s a great player. We don’t have to fear him because then we’d forget about our strengths”. Regarding the comparison with the Brazilian Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick and received an ovation in Old Trafford, Ferguson said: “They’re different. Cristiano is a complete athlete, he plays in every match, he’s fast and shoots with both legs. He’s a much more complete player than Ronaldo”.

The Scottish coach, who admitted that Jones “isn’t in condition to play”, spoke about three key players on his squad: “Giggs’ experience is important. He didn’t play on Saturday because he wanted to rest. He’ll play today, whether starting or on the bench I am not sure yet. We already knew about Kagawa’s quality, but he was weighed down by the three injured months he had. He’s getting back into form and he’ll be much better next year. Van Persie has performed well and I’m sure he’s brought the group up”.

One of those three players, Ryan Giggs, joined Ferguson at the press conference. When asked about possibly playing his 1,000th official game, the striker replied: “I’m proud to have played so many matches. I’ve played with really good teammates and you appreciate more what you’ve done as the years pass. I remember the second Champions League I won more fondly than the first because of the experience”.

He also remembered the last game he played against Real Madrid at Old Trafford: "You learn something from every opponent and every game. They got ahead early on with goals from Ronaldo and I think the important thing is lead the score early. The fans will support and help us, and the key is to score early”.

 

Mourinho: “The world will stop for 90 minutes to watch this match”

“It’s a positive thing when you come to a match with confident players” added the Real Madrid coach

José Mourinho appeared before the media in the Old Trafford press room and the coach analyzed the match of the white team against Manchester United: “It will be complicated because we are both having a good streak. Manchester United has practically won the Premier League in March and is in the English Cup quarterfinals. They have not lost any games in a while, and we have lost only one of the past 12. The world will stop tomorrow for 90 minutes to watch this game. More than a playoff, it feels like a final. It’s a positive thing when you come to a match with confident players.”

The Portuguese coach also spoke about the opponent he expects to face: “I think they are going to be very defensive when Real Madrid has the ball and pretty offensive when they have the ball. For us it’s the same, even though we are behind in the playoffs. We have to defend a lot and well when Manchester United has the ball because they are strong on offensive plays. When we have the ball we will try to make dangerous attacks.”

Regarding whether the two consecutive Clásicos won by his team give Real Madrid extra motivation for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, Mourinho was clear: “We beat an important rival twice, but if it had been two losses the team’s mindset would be the same. They are three different competitions. This is the Champions League, we are in the final of the Copa, and in the championship, which is already lost, we won a positive victory. We are sorry that we traveled a day early because we would have liked to continue to prepare for the game in Madrid.”

Asked about Ferguson’s constant flattery of Cristiano Ronaldo, he said: “It is fine. He knows him well and he is honest in how he talks about him. He’s going to get a fantastic reception, more than deserved, and any accolades that he gets are more than deserved.” Regarding Ramos and Alonso, who are both on yellow cards, and whether Pepe can give his all, Mourinho asserted: “If we get through and they don’t play in the quarterfinals because they are sanctioned, perfect. Better to get through and have them be unable to play than for them not to be sanctioned and for us to be eliminated. Pepe played a great game against Barcelona and showed me that he is physically and tactically fit. Everyone is fit and ready to play except for Casillas.”

Of his particular duel with Ferguson and the possibility that he will be coaching as long as the Scotsman, Mourinho noted: “I have played against him many times. I have won, I have tied, and I have lost. The statistics do not matter to me all that much. Anything can happen. Someone has to win or lose the playoff. There is no one like Ferguson. His maturity and experience can only help him. As you get older you improve in this job.”

Regarding whether the match could impact certain players, he was categorical: “Everyone is prepared. They are mature. The boys have grown a lot, as we could see with Morata in the last Clásico. On Manchester, in the Bernabéu, people without a lot of international experience, like De Gea or Jones, played great games. What people want is to play games like this one.”

Asked about the first time he played in Old Trafford and how he feels now in comparison to how he felt that day, the Portuguese coach explained: “It means the same, but I live it differently. The emotions are different, even though after winning or losing you always feel the same emotions. I have played more than 100 games in the Champions League and I control my emotions in a different way. If we lose I won’t cry and if we win I won’t run 100 meters along the sideline out of happiness. If we lose we will try to sleep in the plane and if we win we will try to laugh.”

Lastly, when asked about the differences between English and Spanish football, he answered: “English football is how it is. If we talk about Spanish football, at the club and national level it has dominated but now it is struggling after the first leg of the Champions League. If the four Spanish teams are eliminated, it does not mean that Spanish football is ruined. City and Chelsea were left back in the Group Stage because they had to play very difficult teams. Spanish football is Spanish football and English football is English.”

 

Source: realmadrid.com

 

What is your opinion? Who is going to win tonight?

 

 

Last games from 2011

Manchester United 2 Blackburn 3

Rovers spoil the party as Yakubu and Hanley make it unhappy 70th birthday for Ferguson

Stranded: David De Gea (right) is left helpless as Grant Hanley heads in Blackburn's winner against United

Yakubu silenced the home crowd with a penalty after Dimitar Berbatov pulled down Chris Samba and the striker grabbed his second early in the second half.

Berbatov nipped in to score just seconds later and doubled his own tally with a cool finish from Antonio Valencia's delivery.

But despite piling on the pressure, it was United who were undone as David de Gea failed to collect Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner, allowing Grant Hanley to head home the winner 10 minutes from time.

It represented Kean's best win as Blackburn manager, taking them off the foot of the table, and left Ferguson to question the wisdom of not even putting a rested Wayne Rooney on the bench.

The party atmosphere at kick-off proved to be a false guide to what followed.

In a pre-recorded interview with MUTV, Ferguson confirmed his future plans, which would make him by some distance the Premier League's oldest manager.

Big day: Sir Alex Ferguson was all smiles at the start of the game on the day of his 70th birthday

The Scot then received a rendition of 'Happy Birthday to you' from the home fans, setting the scene for the slaughter expected to follow.

Except United, injury-hit to the extent of having to name Rafael and Park Ji-sung as central midfield partners, were not up to the task.

The fluency that had carried them to eight wins from nine league games since their only defeat, that 6-1 massacre by Manchester City in October, was so obviously missing.

Nani was an obvious attacking outlet but had one of his frustrating days and neither Berbatov, Hernandez nor Danny Welbeck could plot a path through the massed ranks of Blackburn's defence.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Ferguson had confirmed an intention to hand Berbatov an extra year's contract.

He must have felt like snatching it away, when the Bulgarian followed up his Boxing Day hat-trick against Wigan by hauling Christopher Samba over in the box.

At a club as unstable as Blackburn, one of the few certainties is that from the spot, Yakubu does not miss and the Nigerian promptly sent De Gea the wrong way.

United's response was strange in that, without playing well, they started to create opportunities.

Nani was off target with a couple of efforts then the Portugal winger was denied by Rovers' stand-in keeper Mark Bunn, as was Hernandez.

At one point, Hernandez also got in the way of a goalbound effort from Phil Jones, who had recovered from illness to face his former club for the first time since his £17million move to Old Trafford.

Pilloried by his own fans immediately before Christmas, Rovers boss Kean had now seen his side take first-half leads at Liverpool and United in a staggering six-day spell.

With no Rooney to assist his team, Ferguson turned to Anderson at the break, a move that triggered a number of positional changes, the most significant of which saw Valencia shifted into an advanced position.

But, before United had a chance to see whether the tactical switches would work, they fell further behind.

Yakubu had too much strength for makeshift central defender Michael Carrick as he turned on the edge of the area, then nipped past Jones before drilling his shot through De Gea's legs.

Disastrously for Blackburn, they conceded themselves within 20 seconds of the restart as United advanced, the ball eventually finding its way to Rafael whose bouncing cross-shot was nodded home by Berbatov.

So often have Ferguson's teams recovered from such unpromising situations down the years, Kean must have felt sick.

His side started to get overwhelmed by the tide of red attacks, with Valencia to the fore.

It was the South American's burst of pace and subsequent cut-back that provided Berbatov with the opportunity to side-foot United level.

Minutes later, Bunn almost unbelievably prevented Grant Hanley from turning Berbatov's cross into his own net. He did not know much about it though, as the ball flew over off his outstretched foot.

The weight of attacks on the Blackburn goal was immense. Yet United's commitment was so great they forgot to defend, and once again the questions were raised over De Gea, who came to collect Pedersen's corner.

Instead, Hanley won the first header, then found the bottom corner with his second.

United resolve was sapped and their hopes of snatching the point that would take them top of the table disappeared when Bunn and home debutant Will Keane got in the way of Jones' injury-time effort.

Source: mailonline

Arsenal 1-0 QPR

Robin van Persie hits vital second-half winner to move Gunners back into top four

Gunners take three points with lone goal from Dutch striker enough to secure win as visitors impress but cannot get past defensive wall, while home side blow countless chances

Arsenal picked up a vital win as their Premier League rivals dropped points with a second-half Robin van Persie goal helping them defeat QPR 1-0.

In a tight affair, the Dutch striker sealed victory after Andrey Arshavin's assist allowed him to tap home, with the away side given a good account of themselves against their London rivals.

Arsene Wenger looked to tweak the team that drew against Wolves last week, with Arshavin joining the attack in place of Gervinho and Theo Walcott replacing Yossi Benayoun.

Aaron Ramsey also came into the side after appearing from the bench last time out, with Tomas Rosicky dropping to the bench, whilst for the visitors, top-scorer Heidar Helguson was replaced by Jay Bothroyd up front.

In quiet opening 10 minutes to the match, both teams kept the ball well without really threatening, until Bothroyd struck the first shot of the match from 20 yards out, forcing a save from Wojciech Szczesny low to his left.

Rangers quickly responded as Adel Taarabt' through ball was latched onto by Shaun Wright-Phillips, but Szczesny was out quickly to block his 'dinked' effort.

Arsenal's first moment of intent came through Van Persie, but his cross was saved low by Radek Cerny after some nice wing play by the striker.

After a positive opening from Neil Warnock's side, Arsenal quickly laid siege to the their goalmouth as Van Persie came close three times, with a header, a dinked effort and a half-volley all spurned, while Walcott dragged an effort across the goalmouth when he really should have done better.

The visitors were then dealt a slice of luck as referee Martin Atkinson turned down a huge penalty appeal, as Luke Young flung himself to block Laurent Koscielny's volley, with the ball ricocheting off his leg onto his outstetched arm.

The 32-year-old could consider him lucky to have gotten away unpunished, while referre Martin Atkinson came under more fire from the home support as he booked Thomas Vermaelen in a case of mistaken identity after Koscielny brought down Wright-Phillips on the right wing.

Ramsey just before half-time, but his volley from the edge of the area was headed off the line by skipper Joey Barton after Van Persie's corner, with Arsenal continually threatening in the opening 45.

The second half began with a flurry as chances fell at either end, with Alejandro Faurlin coming closest to opening the scoring for QPR, but he fluffed his shot with the goal gaping - but his missed effort was soon to be better by Walcott's miss of the match.

The winger was put through with by a fabulous ball from Ramsey as they looked to break from a QPR corner, but as he reached the area one-on-one with Cerny, the former Southampton man dragged his shot well wide.

It didn't matter too much for the Gunners however, as they took the lead with half an hour to go through Van Persie.

QPR seemed to have won a corner but a goal-kick was indicated by Atkinson, not linesman Simon Beck, and the Gunners used the opportunity to break up field, with the much-maligned Arshavin finding Van Persie in space to slot past Cerny at his near-post.

It was to be Arshavin's last - and only - moment of note as he was substituted for Gervinho soon after.

The African winger was soon involved in the action, but missed another absolute sitter for Arsenal as he passed the ball wide from in front of goal having been set up by Van Persie.

QPR were spurred on and began to attack as the game ebbed away, but looked likely to be caught on the counter-attack.

While Rangers had plenty of possession towards the end, they couldn't find a way past the Arsenal defence, with Mertesacker in particular putting in some important blocks and headers, as the Wenger's side secured the three points that sees them break back into the top four.

Source: goal.com

Chelsea 1-3 Aston Villa

Ireland, Petrov and Bent strikes stun Villas-Boas' men as Blues make it four games without a win

Alex McLeish's side produced a masterclass of counter-attacking football to cancel out Didier Drogba's opener and consign Andre Villas-Boas' men to a miserable end to 2011

Chelsea failed to win for the fourth Premier League game in a row as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa.

Didier Drogba grabbed the opener for the Blues from the spot before Stephen Ireland bundled home to send the sides in level at half-time.

Despite the second-half introduction of Fernando Torres, the hosts could not find a breakthrough and saw Stiliyan Petrov and substitute Darren Bent's late goals secure a much-needed victory for Alex McLeish's men.

The home side made three changes to the side which drew with Fulham in their last outing at Stamford Bridge. Didier Drogba replaced the misfiring Torres as Paulo Ferreira deputised for the injured full-back Jose Bosingwa. Frank Lampard also missed out with Brazilian midfielder Ramires returning to the starting lineup.

For Alex McLeish, Bent proved fit enough to take a place on the bench as Stephen Ireland was handed a shock start with Emile Heskey still injured. 

Despite pre-match discussion over the absence of Torres, it was a man whose presence in the Blues side is never in doubt who was presented with the opportunity to give them a dream start. Juan Mata collected Daniel Sturridge’s lofted pass in the box but could not escape the attentions of the Villa defence and had to settle for a corner.

That set-piece was easily repelled by the visitors and they had their own chance to break when Gabriel Agbonlahor’s cross almost found Ireland, who had pulled off his man at the edge of the box but could find the header.

Chelsea struggled to find any further fluency in the opening exchanges as the Villans stuck to their defensive task admirably and provided ample evidence that their pace on the counter would cause trouble.

Given the cagey nature of the opening 20 minutes, the breakthrough for the hosts may have felt like sweet relief for Andre Villas-Boas, especially given the fortunate nature in which it was seized. 

Drogba collected the ball in the box after Ramires’ burst from midfield and shifted it into an area of little threat, only to see Richard Dunne clumsily throw out a leg and give the forward an opportunity to tumble, which he duly took.

The Ivorian subsequently stepped up and slotted a nervous spot kick down the middle, which Guzan will have been disappointed not to stop, to notch his 150th Chelsea goal and give his side lead.

The goal did little, however, to dispel Chelsea’s stuttering start and it was therefore unsurprising when the visitors hit back just five minutes later. 

Charles N’Zogbia burst into the box, after being released by Ireland, who had controlled brilliantly, and the winger cut back to his provider to see him slide the ball beyond Petr Cech after it appeared that John Terry’s arm had prevented his first goalward effort. 

The goal was little more than Alex McLeish’s side deserved given their attacking potency and they continued to suppress the Chelsea attack, constantly providing a threat on the break.

Despite that threat, the hosts would have been disappointed not to immediately regain the lead with 10 minutes of the half remaining as Guzan’s tame block allowed Mata to release a shot at an empty goal, which Stephen Warnock did brilliantly to slide in and clear.

It was in fact the best chance the hosts would get before half time with a Drobga free-kick driven woefully wide the only other opportunity of note before the break. 

Laughing stock | Chelsea woes continue with a Stamford Bridge defeat

Though no changes were made by the hosts at half time, they started the second period undeniably brighter. A lofted Raul Meireles pass found Mata in space, but the Spaniard was left frustrated as none of his team-mates gambled on his drive across the six yard box.

At the other end, a Villa free kick evaded everyone but defender James Collins and, although the Welshman knew nothing of it, he almost diverted the ball beyond Cech into the Chelsea goal.

The Blues then received another let off as a fantastic exchange between N’Zogbia and Ireland allowed the visitors to break and release Agbonlahor one-on-one with Cech. Unfortunately for the Villans, the pacy striker could not provide the finishing touch and drove into the goalkeeper’s legs, much to the relief of the home crowd.

Chelsea’s inability to create in midfield forced Villas-Boas to look to his bench just 10 minutes into the second half, as Frank Lampard replaced Oriol Romeu. The change almost produced the opposite of its desired effect just seconds later, however, as Agbonlahor turned Terry with ease in the box but dragged his shot wide of the near post.

Mata was proving to be the hosts’ only true creative outlet on the day and he underlined this when beating two Villa defenders in the box before standing the ball up to the back post. Once again, however, no Chelsea forward could provide the fitting finish to his good work.

Torres replaced the ineffective Sturridge on the hour mark and the Spaniard almost went some way to atoning for his poor form as his fantastic drive from the edge of the box crashed off the Villa bar just seconds after his introduction. 

Villa continued to provide stubborn resistance against the reinvigorated hosts and Marc Albrighton took his turn to serv a reminder of his side’s menace with a volley which tested Cech at his near post.

It was a defensive change by Chelsea which almost proved key with 15 minutes remaining as Bosingwa, who had missed out on a start due to hamstring concerns, replaced Ferreira and brought a fine save from Guzan just moments into his cameo.

With the hosts having made all three possible changes, Alex McLeish introduced his first substitute of the game, as Bent made his first team return in place of a tiring N’Zogbia whilst youngster Gary Gardner was handed his Villa debut, replacing Albrighton. 

It took just minutes for substitute Bent to have an impact, with his great work in beating Terry almost garnered a penalty, only for the referee to wave away his claims and those of Petrov just moments later after another debatable tackle in the box.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of those decisions, Villa would get what they perceived as justice just seconds later as Ciaran Clark found captain Petrov in space in a disorganised Chelsea defence, and the midfielder drove home brilliantly to give his side the lead.

Bizarrely, that was to be the Bulgarian’s final contribution, as he appeared to pick up an injury in the celebration, and he was replaced by Barry Bannan shortly after. 

It appeared the cool head of an experienced midfielder would be a big miss as Villa needed to hold out against their illustrious opponents but what followed moments later dismissed the need for a backs-to-the-wall performance.

Ireland, who had proved brilliant throughout his return to the first team, intercepted Terry’s loose pass across defence to find himself through on goal and he unselfishly passed to the supporting Bent, who forced the ball past Cech to seal the points for the visitors. 

That goal was to provide sufficient breathing space for Villa and ensured they consigned Chelsea to a miserable end to 2011.

Source: goal.com

Well everyone, I hope you ALL have enjoyed the articles I've been placing here.

This was the last one for 2011!!

Thank you ALL for coming here and reading my articles.

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

See you in 2012.

Manchester United to rival City for Christian Eriksen

Ajax's teenage sensation Christian Eriksen has emerged as a transfer target for Manchester United, putting the Red Devils in direct competition with neighbours City.
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The Denmark international has been in superb form this season and scouts from most of Europe's biggest clubs have flocked to Amsterdam to see him in action. 

Manchester City and Barcelona have both been strongly linked with the 19-year-old, but it now seems United are leading the race for his signature.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson is apparently ready to bid more than £20million to land Eriksen, who he believes could fill the gap left by the retirement of Paul Scholes.

A source told the Daily Star Sunday: 'United are hot on him. Trust me, they want him and £20million is the price being bandied around.

'Yet ironically both Chelsea and Spurs turned him down several years ago because they thought he was too small. He has since turned into a world-class player.'

Eriksen will be familiar to British football fans following his outstanding performance for Denmark in a friendly against England last season and goal against Scotland in August.

Source: Bleacher Report

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