MANCHESTER UNITED, the record 19-times English soccer champions, agreed a four-year contract worth about £40 million (€45.7m) for delivery company DHL to sponsor its training apparel, according to two people familiar with the deal.

SHANE LONG or Fernando Torres?

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson believes there is a freshness and vitality to Wayne Rooney this season that ensures “he can never stand still” on the pitch.

ROBBIE KEANE last night reiterated his commitment to the Irish team and insisted he hadn’t moved to southern California for a holiday.

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS insists Chelsea must win their back-to-back home games with West Brom and Norwich if they are to be considered serious Barclays Premier League title contenders this season.

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Alex Ferguson can appreciate the dilemma close friend Harry Redknapp has had to contend with over the summer regarding Luka Modric.

LAST time around, we had to wait until the very last game of the season for confirmation of what we had long suspected: Manchester United are not in the same league as Barcelona.

ASTON VILLA manager Alex McLeish is finally set to sign Wigan winger Charles N’Zogbia in a £9.5 million deal at the third attempt.

ALEX FERGUSON doubts whether he will sign any more players before Manchester United face their “noisy neighbours” in the Community Shield at Wembley next month.

RIO FERDINAND has warned the young challengers to his central defensive throne that he has no intention of being eased out of Manchester United.

Somebody will unwrap a rolled-up investment and find something toxic inside. And I don’t mean Joey Barton.

“But what’s the point in worrying about that? It’s like worrying if you’re sitting on a rocket. It’s going to get you nowhere.”

ASHLEY YOUNG says the decision to quit Aston Villa for Manchester United was a “no-brainer”.

LIVERPOOL appear to be moving away from their preferred option of redeveloping Anfield because of the “barriers” they face in doing so.

ARSENE WENGER last night vowed he will fight to keep captain Cesc Fabregas and contract rebel Samir Nasri at Arsenal.

ONLY 53 days to go in the transfer window (thanks for that, Sky). Will we ever be able to stand all the excitement?

JOHN O’SHEA wasn’t Sunderland’s only big Irish signing yesterday as the club announced the appointment of 31-year-old Irish solicitor Margaret Byrne as their new CEO.

AT just 34 and with an All-Ireland semi-final already on his CV, Jason Ryan could be Gaelic football’s answer to Andre Villas-Boas — but his biggest lesson in management to date was one shared by Alex Ferguson, a man three decades his elder.

MANCHESTER UNITED remain hopeful of signing Samir Nasri although Arsenal say they have not received a formal bid for the French midfielder.