Kenyon: Van’s our man, whatever the offer

PRICELESS Dutch master Ruud van Nistelrooy has been confirmed as the one man Manchester United cannot afford to lose.

While England skipper David Beckham was hawked around to the highest bidder this summer and Juan Sebastian Veron was cleared to enter talks with Chelsea, Old Trafford chief executive Peter Kenyon insisted he would repel any threat to take his star striker, no matter how high the fee.

It is just as well van Nistelrooy is settled, happy and injury-free because even Alex Ferguson knows that without the man who has scored 80 goals in just two seasons with the Red Devils, United’s chances of silverware next term would be drastically affected.

“Ruud is not for sale at any value,” stated Kenyon. “He is an essential part of our squad and is one of those players who is not for sale. You couldn’t replace a van Nistelrooy. There isn’t another one around. Whatever way you measure Ruud, he is an exception. Even if Chelsea came up with a ridiculous offer, I think the answer would still be no.”

That is a bold statement from Kenyon, given that Stamford Bridge’s new owner Roman Abramovich appears to have millions of pounds burning a hole in his pocket and is thought capable of offering £71m for Real Madrid skipper, Raul.

Kenyon, whose club paid £18.5m for van Nistelrooy and almost £30m each for Veron and Rio Ferdinand over the last two summers, described that figure as “mind-boggling.”

It certainly puts the £5m United received up front from Real for Beckham into perspective and highlights just how desperate the Old Trafford outfit were to get rid of him.

For Ferguson, the advantages of that particular move are already being shown, as fans flock to their matches and open training sessions on the current US tour eager to get a glimpse of their heroes actually playing football rather than examining the latest fashion trends.

Kenyon and his commercial team will have few complaints either, although whether Beckham’s departure impacts on the club’s ability to tap into their astonishing worldwide support can only be judged over a period of months and years.

Journalists remain frustrated by Ferguson’s unwillingness to explain the reasons behind Beckham’s move and the issue has already been the cause of some friction on the two-week tour, which reaches its halfway stage at the now-ramshackle LA Coliseum early today when United take on Mexican outfit Club America. There have been few complaints from the fans, though, as the Red Devils continue their charm-offensive, with skipper Roy Keane leading the way by spending well over 30 minutes signing autographs after training.

Keane had pulled out of the session suffering from a tight hamstring, and although the problem is not too serious, he was expected to sit out last night’s match along with Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, who also have minor niggles. However, the other main talking point surrounds Keane’s midfield colleague Veron, with even United at odds over the Argentine’s position at the club. After a week of frenzied speculation linking him with a move to Chelsea, Veron’s presence on tour suggested the chance of a deal was at an end. However, speculation has persisted that he will move. But while Kenyon insisted there has been no formal communication with the London outfit, Ferguson said Veron had actually turned down a transfer.

“Earlier on there a situation arose where there was a chance for Juan to go to another club,” said Ferguson. “Maybe it was a good thing he didn’t because I have always been happy with him. He is part of our squad and a very important member of it.”

Given their failure to land Ronaldinho, if Veron did follow Beckham out of the club, it would leave United woefully short of midfield playmaking options, with two new recruits, Eric Djemba Djemba and Kleberson, both seen as driving players and the natural successors to Keane and Nicky Butt.