Strike duo Smith and Rossi set for Old Trafford exit

ALEX FERGUSON has dropped the broadest hint yet that Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi are on their way out of Old Trafford — but quashed any suggestion of Gabriel Heinze leaving for Liverpool.

Ferguson, whose side tackle K-League outfit FC Seoul in the second game of their Far East tour today, clearly has issues over the involvement of Heinze’s agent in talks over the 29-year-old’s future.

And he has told a player who spent almost an entire year of his three-season stint at United recovering from major knee surgery he can forget any idea of turning Anfield into his home ground.

With the Carlos Tevez wrangle expected to be resolved by the end of August, Smith and Rossi’s futures have been the subject of intense debate over the last few weeks.

Middlesbrough are rumoured to have made a substantial offer for Smith while Parma are keen to keep Rossi, who scored nine goals in a 16-game loan spell.

Ferguson accepts that if Tevez does eventually sign, neither Smith nor Rossi may feel entirely comfortable at the number of first-team opportunities they are likely to get next term.

The situation is further muddied by Ferguson’s admission he lodged a bid for another striker this summer.

Bolton’s Nicolas Anelka was reportedly a target, and 23-year-old Fabio Quagliarella, who scored 13 goals for Sampdoria last term but has since had his contract bought out by co-owners Udinese, claimed United had bid £10m for his services.