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| Sunday, July 21, 2002 18:17 EST |
Ferdinand still has to reach deal with United
[Reuters]
LEEDS, England -- Leeds United has agreed to sell England defender Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for a British record transfer fee of $45 million.
The 23-year-old Ferdinand will become the most expensive defender in soccer history if he agrees personal terms with Manchester United, whose chief executive Peter Kenyon finally reached an agreement with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale after days of negotiations.
"I did not want to sell Rio Ferdinand but he asked for a transfer last week and when your captain says he does not want to play for your club there comes a time when you have to make a decision and move on," Ridsdale told Sky Sports.
"I feel a mixture of disappointment and some elation that the deal has been completed. Rio is a great player and a nice lad and he will go with our best wishes."
The fee for Ferdinand, who joined Leeds from West Ham United two years ago for 18 million pounds, will surpass the $35.4 million Juventus paid Italian rivals Parma for France defender Lilian Thuram in 2001.
Manchester United also paid the previous British record transfer fee of 28.1 million pounds to Lazio for Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron in July 2001.
Ferdinand, whose performances helped England reach the World Cup quarter-finals last month, should improve United's defence, which has lacked a commanding presence since the surprise sale of Dutchman Jaap Stam to Lazio 11 months ago.
Veteran Frenchman Laurent Blanc was signed to replace Stam, but defensive frailties contributed to a disappointing 2001-02 campaign in which the club failed to win their fourth straight English Premier League title.
United eventually finished third behind Arsenal and Liverpool and lost in the Champions League semifinals to German club Bayer Leverkusen.
Norwegian defender Ronny Johnsen and Irishman Denis Irwin were released at the end of the season, and although Blanc signed a one-year contract extension United manager Alex Ferguson was short of experienced defenders.
French midfielder Zinedine Zidane is the world's most expensive soccer player. He cost Spanish club Real Madrid $64.4 million when he moved from Juventus in 2001.
The last Leeds player to join Manchester United was French striker Eric Cantona whose arrival at Old Trafford in 1992 inspired Manchester United to win the English title in 1993 for the first time in 26 years.
Ridsdale, who also heard on Sunday that the proposed nine million-pound transfer of Leeds midfielder Lee Bowyer to Liverpool had collapsed, said some of the money from selling Ferdinand would be given to new manager Terry Venables for new players.
"We will now be in a strong position to strengthen the squad further," he said. "We have drawn up a short list and Terry Venables will be given money to sign new players in the next few days."
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