Van der Sar all set for Old Trafford switch

EDWIN Van der Sar looks set to be the next to accept the challenge of becoming Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper after a fee was agreed with Fulham.

The 34-year-old Holland international is expected to sign a two-year deal at Old Trafford when he has completed international duty on July 1, subject to a medical.

United boss Alex Ferguson has been looking for a goalkeeper after releasing Roy Carroll and Ricardo, leaving just Tim Howard as a recognised stopper in his squad.

Ferguson had been linked with moves for a number of high-profile stoppers, although he is not believed to have the funds to bid for the likes of Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus.

Former United striker Frank Stapleton admitted: "It is a bit of a surprise, perhaps he will be brought in for a couple of years and then Tim Howard will take over. He (Van der Sar) has done very well his best time was probably at Juventus, so it could be a short-term acquisition.

"They're probably priced out of the market for other keepers although he is a decent keeper at a decent price."

The fee for the former Ajax number one is undisclosed, although he was linked with United in January only to sign a contract extension with Fulham until summer 2006 instead.

At the time, Van der Sar admitted he would probably not have signed a new deal if either United or Arsenal had come in with a firm bid for him.

"I don't know if the teams were talking about me, I think it was more the media that came every time with those names," he said in January.

"I think if I would have had a call from Sir Alex [Ferguson] or Arsene Wenger that they were interested in something, then probably I wouldn't have signed here, to be honest. But they haven't called, so probably that stays in the past."

Van der Sar has the task of filling the boots of Peter Schmeichel, who left Old Trafford in 1999 after a great spell at the club which ended with a Champions League victory.

Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Raimond van der Gouw, Fabien Barthez, Carroll and Ricardo have all tried and failed to command the United defence in the same manner as Schmeichel.

Stapleton said: "I think it might be 10 goalkeepers since Peter Schmeichel left, but it takes a long, long time to find that again. It's unfair on those who have come in."

Van der Sar is United's first signing since the club's takeover by Malcolm Glazer and is likely to join the squad for next month's tour of the Far East.