Sneijder Believes Move Could Happen

Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder has refused to close the door on a summer move to Manchester United, despite recent claims from United manager Sir Alex Ferguson that a deal was "dead".

Sneijder has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for much of the summer, with the two clubs believed to have been in advanced negotiations for a number of weeks before relations cooled in recent times - with Sneijder's contract details believed to be a sticking point.

Nevertheless, despite United's assertion that the Dutchman would not be moving to the Premier League this summer, the 27-year-old seems to believe that a blockbuster move in the next month is still very much a possibility.

"What will happen? We will see," Sneijder said on Sunday, after Inter were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City in the final of the Dublin Super Cup. "There is always a chance that something will happen, but we will see.

"There is always speculation. I've said before, I've played for almost 10 years at the highest level and every year there is speculation."

Sneijder confirmed that he would be happy to remain with the Nerazzurri, but seemed to suggest that there is still a possibility he will move on before the transfer window closed.

"As you can see, I'm still here," he added. "I'm always happy. I'm a happy guy. I'm just happy to train every day with my colleagues and to train every day and to play my game for the fans.

"I've played in many competitions. I started in Holland, then played in Spain and now the Italian league, and I'm still here.

"We will see what happens but I'm happy here."

However, Sneijder suddenly went coy when asked directly about Manchester United's interest - smiling knowingly before calling an end to the interview.

On Saturday, Ferguson reiterated that the club are looking to improve their central midfield options - as he gave youngster Tom Cleverley a chance to impress in the friendly victory over Barcelona.

"It's an area we have to find a solution for," Ferguson noted. "That is why we played Tom Cleverley today. Physically he is not the strongest but he is wiry and has a great idea of the game.

"He is a good footballer and was our best player today. His discipline was terrific. He is a quick passer of the ball. He has good eyes.

"It was a big night for him. He is a big, strong possibility for us to start the season."

Scholes: Fergie Could Have Sold Me

Paul Scholes has admitted he was lucky not to be sold by Manchester United after refusing to play a League Cup match in 2001.

Scholes, who retired at the end of last season and has been awarded a testimonial next week against Eric Cantona's New York Cosmos, played for United his entire career but believes he was lucky to do so after refusing to join a shadow side for the clash against Arsenal.

Sir Alex Ferguson has ended United careers for less but let Scholes off with a fine.

''I don't know why I did what I did in 2001, but it is something I really regretted doing,'' the former England midfielder is quoted as saying in several national newspapers.

''I wasn't in a great mood. I had been left out the Liverpool game the previous weekend and I knew that the team going down to Arsenal in the cup was basically a reserve side.

''I just got a bee in my bonnet that I wasn't happy with things. I had my reasons but it was stupid really. I ended up getting fined and having to apologise, but I was lucky. The manager would have been within his rights to get rid of me.''

Hernandez Back in a Month

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he expects to have Javier Hernandez back in his squad again in a month.

Hernandez, who made such an impact in his first Premier League season, suffered a concussion during training in New Jersey on Tuesday and reports from Mexico suggested that he may have an ongoing neurological condition.

However, despite missing United's 2-1 win over Barcelona in pre-season, the 23-year-old was cleared to make the flight home and Ferguson is confident he will be back to full fitness soon.

''Javier is coming back with us,'' said Ferguson. ''He is fine. He won't play for a couple of weeks but that would have been the case anyway.

''He was always going to need a break until he got his fitness back. He will do some training, then we will have him back in three to four weeks.''

Portuguese star Nani, who scored against Barca, was also upbeat about his team-mate's recovery, telling journalists: "I think he's okay now. I think he needs a couple days to come back to training, but he's feeling very good."

Barcelona 1-2 Manchester United

Nine weeks after being completely outplayed in the Champions League final, Manchester United finally experienced the winning feeling against Barcelona.

Michael Owen secured victory 14 minutes from time in front of a record 81,807 at Washington's FedEx Field, not long after Thiago had pulled Barca level with a magnificent curling strike.

Nani had put Sir Alex Ferguson's men into a first-half lead with a neat finish and Owen's clip over Victor Valdes after collecting Tom Cleverley's neat pass ensured United ended their five-match US tour with a 100% record.

It had been suggested the game represented some kind of revenge mission for the Red Devils.

That was not possible given Ferguson retained only three members of his starting line-up from that miserable May night.

Pep Guardiola's side was more recognisable, with six players keeping their places, and three of the other five, including Lionel Messi, were not available due to their recent stints at Copa America.

Wayne Rooney scored United's goal at Wembley and he should have put the Premier League champions in front when he met Nani's low cross at the near post but prodded wide.

Rafael was replaced by twin brother Fabio after failing to recover from a knock sustained in a crunching tackle on Seydou Keita.

It did not disrupt United too much though and when Danny Welbeck collected possession just inside the Barcelona half, Nani timed his run to perfection, sprinting onto the through ball, then dispatching his shot through the legs of Valdes.

Ibrahim Afellay should have done better than drag his shot across the face of David de Gea's goal after being set up 10 minutes before the break.

Indeed, De Gea had been relatively unemployed on his first significant appearance since his £18million summer arrival from Atletico Madrid.

Ferdinand Twitter Pics 'Wiped'

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has claimed he was the victim of the US security services after his photographs of inside the White House were removed from the internet.

Ferdinand, 32, uploaded the pictures onto his Twitter page (@rioferdy5), but he was left ''baffled'' after they were quickly removed. When he realised what had happened, he joked that he had been targeted by spy Jack Bauer from television series 24.

The Manchester United squad visited the White House on Thursday as part of their pre-season tour of the States.

As they were shown around the iconic building, Ferdinand wrote: ''Whoa....some1 has got into my phone + taken down my pics off twitter....this is deep...is jack Bauer in Washington?!''

One of the removed photographs had been given the caption: ''the security needs beefing up here at the White House....!!,'' and the England defender later tweeted: ''My pic of the security was £removed quick, rapido, sharpish, fast....they don't play here in DC...I feel like I'm on 24 right now £baffled.''

Photographs of Ferdinand in the State Dining Room and his team-mates eating cookies were allowed to remain online.

But the issue was still on his mind the following day, as he wrote: ''Training just done in DC....feels kinda weird...feel like I'm being watched by some undercover jack Bauer type dudes...phone hacked into etc.''

Charlton Pleased With Pre-Season

Sir Bobby Charlton is impressed by the way Manchester United's newcomers are already blending in and bedding down for the new season as the club conclude their United States pre-season tour with a prestigious friendly against FC Barcelona.

"This will be our fourth tour game, and there has been great excitement about our games out here,'' he told ESPNsoccernet. ''There has been a noticeable improvement in interest levels since we were last out in the States.

"We are all looking forward to playing Barcelona, and we have every chance of beating them, but then again I wouldn't draw too much from whatever the result is, because we all know it's a pre-season 'training' match.

"However, Barcelona will be without the likes of Messi who has been playing in the Copa America and I have been really pleased with the way the new players are settling in and the way the team has been playing.

"We have been having a great time here in Washington, and in fact the whole tour has been a huge success."

Despite it being a 'friendly,' United will be keen to exact some kind of revenge for their Champions League final defeat at Wembley when they play in Washington D.C. at FedEx Field.

Pique Praises Sir Alex

Gerard Pique says Manchester United's success in recent years is down to the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson as Barcelona prepare to take on the Premier League side in a pre-season match on Saturday.

Pique spent four seasons at United, having been snapped up from Barcelona as a 17-year-old and made 20 appearances for the club before returning to Spain and beginning an unprecedented period of success, which includes a World Cup triumph and two Champions League final wins against his former club.

Ferguson will celebrate an incredible 25 years as boss at Old Trafford this November, and on the eve of the rematch from last season's Champions League final, Pique revealed he has nothing but admiration for the Scot.

"I have never seen anything like this in Spain," he said. "It is unbelievable. I was with him for a few years and know why he is there.

"He is a great coach but he also treats the players really well. It is not only in terms of football. No matter what it is, he will be there for you.

"He has won so many titles and so many important things. All the Manchester United fans are really happy that he has stayed because they never won as much as they do now.

"Most of this is because of him and I hope he stays for many years yet."

Hernandez 'May Have Neurological Issue'

Javier Hernandez's former club doctor has warned Manchester United that the striker could have a long-term neurological condition.

Hernandez is currently sidelined for two weeks, after suffering a mild concussion when he was hit on the back of the head by a ball during a training session.

However, Rafael Ortega, the doctor at Hernandez's old club Chivas de Guadalajara, has revealed that the 23-year-old suffered from severe migraines as a teenager - and fears that both issues could be linked to a brain condition that would warrant further examination.

"I remember in his time as a youth player at Chivas he suffered from acute migraines," Ortega said. "Originally it manifested itself as a headache but afterwards the symptoms disappeared. We had some studies done on him but that was six years ago and he has done well since.

"I don't know if there is a connection between the two situations. I'm not up to date with the current situation, we would have to speak to a neurologist.

"I don't know if this will affect him in the future but I'm sure United will send him to a specialist and the situation will be resolved."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson played down such concerns about Hernandez's long-term health, but admitted he would not be taking any chances with the player's recovery - especially as concussion sufferers tend to be more susceptible to repeat incidences of the injury.

"I'm not aware of that," Ferguson said, when told of Hernandez's previous history of migraines. "This is a straightforward concussion. He was hit on the top of the head with the ball in the early evening.

"When he was back at the hotel, taking his meal, he felt sick and he was sick. He had headaches, so we removed him to the hospital where he stayed in overnight.

"They did the MRI scans and that was all-clear. Concussion is something you don't want to happen but usually time heals that and we'll give Chicharito plenty of time. We won't be rushing him back. I'll only bring him back when the doctor tells me I can bring him back."

Lindegaard Eyes Top Spot

Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard hopes the form he has shown whilst on pre-season tour in the USA has given Sir Alex Ferguson a selection headache ahead of the club's Premier League title defence.

An impressive 45-minute display against the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday was the latest noteworthy performance by the 27-year-old, whose best save denied David Beckham a goal against his former club, and further fuelled speculation that it could be Lindegaard, and not £18.9 million new boy, David de Gea, who will be between the posts in United's first game of the season on August 14.

One week before that, United face Manchester City in the Community Shield and Ferguson stated earlier this week that de Gea will start at Wembley. However, Lindegaard does not believe that selection automatically places the Spaniard as the manager's first-choice. And with the competition set to continue, he is pleased with the form he has shown to date.

"I think it's been very good, I'm satisfied. I said before the season that it was going to be very important how the goalkeepers perform because Edwin (van der Sar) has retired. I'm very satisfied with my own performances and, if I had the chance to do anything differently, I'm not sure I would."

Signed last November to compete with Tomas Kuszczak for the back-up position behind van der Sar, Lindegaard played just twice in FA Cup ties against Southampton and Crawley in his first six-months at Old Trafford. However, though his appearances were limited, Lindegaard says he is a better goalkeeper now than when he joined.

In addition to acknowledging the help given to him by the veteran Dutchman, Lindegaard credits United's goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele, for assisting in his development. When asked for specific areas on which he has worked, he pinpointed two things.

"Positioning in general, how to position yourself. When to be aggressive, when to stay back. In general, I think I have improved in almost every aspect of the game. I've learned a lot of things. You have to increase your level and I think I have done that."

At 6' 4" and with an imposing build, Lindegaard has a commanding penalty area presence. Furthermore, he is a naturally vocal goalkeeper who has the added benefit of being able to communicate with his teammates in English, an additional advantage he has over de Gea, whose grasp of the language is not as advanced.

Eventually, though, de Gea is expected to claim the starting job as his own, but the prospect is not one which phases Lindegaard, who knew when he arrived at the club that more competition would arrive in the close season.

"It was always going to happen. The question was, who would the club buy? It was in the cards from day one when I signed for United that, when Edwin retired, they would bring in a big name. I was told that."

Since De Gea linked up with United in Seattle almost three weeks ago, Lindegaard has been impressed with what he has seen from the Spain Under-21 international.

"He is what you can expect from a 'keeper with that price mark. He is top-class, young but very, very talented. He seems to be a great guy as well. I haven't spoken a lot to him because he doesn't speak a lot of English but he seems to be a positive, open-minded young guy and I enjoy spending time with him on the training field."

With the competition for playing time wide open, it might be thought that tension would be high between United's goalkeepers. Not so, says Lindegaard, who insists that he, De Gea and Ben Amos are thriving under the tutelage of Steele.

"There is competition for all the spots at Manchester United and it sharpens everyone to give 100%. It doesn't really affect us on the training field. We have a great atmosphere, we have a great coach that really understands how to keep that atmosphere and respect all of the goalkeepers. He deserves a lot of credit for keeping the spirit high."

Whether it is Lindegaard or de Gea who starts for the champions, United's goalkeeper at the Hawthorns will be making his Premier League debut. Given the difficulty Ferguson had in finding a reliable replacement for Peter Schmeichel ten men had varying degrees of success between his departure in 1999 and van der Sar's arrival in 2005 fans will hope for a smoother transition. It is a hope which is no doubt shared by the Dane's fellow countryman as he continues to ply his trade in "the world's biggest club and the world's hardest league".

Inter Open to Sneijder Sale

Inter Milan chief executive Ernesto Paolillo has suggested the club could be ready to sell Wesley Sneijder, but that Manchester United have not made any contact.

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that United will not bring any more players in during the summer transfer window, despite a shortage of creative midfield talent in his squad and relentless speculation over a pursuit for Netherlands international Sneijder.

Although United have also been linked with AS Roma's Montenegro international Mirko Vucinic, it still seems more likely that Sir Alex will eventually make a move for the 27-year-old Sneijder.

Speaking after the announcement of the Serie A fixtures, Paolillo told Sky Sport Italia: "Are Manchester United still after Sneijder? We haven't seen or heard from anyone; that's a story I've heard from you.

"Is Wesley definitely not for sale? I don't think there's anything that can't be sold, it all depends on the price.

"You never say no if a big opportunity comes your way, but it does have to be a real opportunity."

Inter could pay for the transfer of Manchester City's Carlos Tevez by selling Sneijder.

"We can't stop him from coming to Milan or going to the same beaches as Branca, but we're not going there looking for him," Paolillo added.