United close in on Hargreaves

MANCHESTER UNITED last night appeared to be closing in on a deal to sign Owen Hargreaves after Bayern Munich admitted the England midfielder was leaving them.

Hargreaves looks set to complete a £17m move to the Premiership champions, with the German media reporting he will sign a four-year contract.

Bayern have had a disappointing season, not only failing to defend their Bundesliga title but also missing out on qualification for next season’s Champions League, and the club’s intentions to make sweeping squad changes during the summer had already been expressed.