The rich kids: Manchester rivals splash out for two of the most expensive names in football
By Bob Cass and Mark Ryan
Last updated at 11:52 PM on 9th July 2011
Manchester United and their noisy neighbours, Manchester City, are poised to bring two of the biggest names in world football to the Premier League in combined deals worth at least £100million.
Inter Milan's Holland midfield star Wesley Sneijder is ready to join Premier League champions United while Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero - Diego Maradona's son-in-law - is close to signing for FA Cup winners City.
The two deals would make a dramatic impact on English football, with United expected to bid £35m to take Sneijder to Old Trafford and City prepared to pay £40m for Argentina's Aguero.
With wages added in, the total outlay by Manchester's two clubs would top the £100m mark.
Sneijder has been United's No 1 target all summer and an Old Trafford source said last night: 'Wesley is obviously a top player and we would love to sign him.'
But United have insisted that he has to drop his £250,000-a-week pay demands if he wants to become their latest signing, following the £55m they have already spent on goalkeeper David de Gea, defender Phil Jones and winger Ashley Young.
Sneijder favours a move to Old Trafford rather than taking up an alternative offer from Spanish club Malaga, who are now funded by Sheik Al Thani, of the Qatari royal family.
Sources close to negotiations say they expect significant progress on a move to Old Trafford this week. A deal would take United's summer spending to a record £90m.
Agreeing the fee with Inter could yet be a problem and delay the move, but the Italian club are understood to be searching for Sneijder's replacement.
The big stumbling block to any deal is the 27-year-old Dutch World Cup star's £170,000-a-week San Siro wages.
Because of Britain's higher tax rates, United would need to dig deep - far exceeding the £220,000 a week they pay top earner Wayne Rooney - to match Sneijder's current net earnings.
United would not countenance paying Sneijder more than Rooney, given the struggle there was to agree a contract with the England striker last autumn when he threatened to leave the club.
The Old Trafford source said: 'It will be a question of whether Wesley will accept a salary which puts him on the same level as Wayne.'
City, meanwhile, are close to clinching a deal for Aguero, which would pave the way for the departure of leading goalscorer Carlos Tevez to Spain or Italy.
Although Atletico were previously reported to be holding out for £50m, it emerged last night that Atletico could be willing to accept £40m - and City have the cash ready.
City manager Roberto Mancini and his squad were already heading for a pre-season tour of California last night. But the Italian is being kept abreast of negotiations.
Aguero would be City's first major signing of the summer and is likely to be followed by the arrival of Arsenal's Samir Nasri for £25m.
Back at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson has assured striker Dimitar Berbatov that he has a future at the club, despite the enormous disappointment the Bulgarian suffered when he did not even make the bench for the Champions League final defeat against Barcelona at Wembley.
Despite finishing joint top scorer of the Premier League with 20 goals last season, Berbatov has increasingly been reduced to a bit-part player, with Rooney and Javier Hernandez preferred for the biggest games.
But Ferguson said: 'It was a difficult decision to leave him out of the final and I know he was disappointed.
'But we have had a long chat and he has accepted the decision and is looking forward to the new season.'
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