United play it cool as Saha ups the stakes

Manchester United are prepared to bide their time before taking another plunge for outspoken French forward Louis Saha.

The 25-year-old’s future at Fulham has become highly problematic after he accused the Cottagers management of acting dishonestly in not allowing him to leave for Old Trafford.

Such is the ferocity of his latest outburst in the French newspaper Le Parisien that it would not come as a huge shock if he was omitted from the squad to face his old club Newcastle at St James’ Park on Monday.

Not content with slating his employers, Saha has also threatened them financial damage by claiming he will refuse to leave until his contract has expired if he is not allowed to quit the London outfit immediately.

United have refused to become embroiled in the row since last Friday when manager Alex Ferguson insisted his club had acted properly in privately lodging an official bid for his number one transfer target earlier in the month.

But it is now obvious to all concerned that an offer approaching the £10m (€14.6m) mark would be enough to secure the 15-goal front-man.

“Fulham are not honest,” said Saha.

“The club’s managers keep changing their opinion.

“One day they say yes to a transfer and the next day they say no. They think I am an object.

“The club say they would rather sell me in six months’ time – but I am fed up now.

“Either I leave now or I am staying at Fulham until the end of my contract, which finishes in 2006.

“If Fulham love me that much they are going to have to cope with me until the end – and then I will leave them for zero Euros.”

Saha is not the first player to be involved in a stand-off with his club when they have resisted United’s advances.

Paul Ince famously posed in a Red Devils shirt in 1989 while he was still a West Ham player – and then Aston Villa boss John Gregory once said he felt capable of shooting Dwight Yorke when the striker made it plain he would join United whether his manager liked it or not.

Talk of Chelsea’s interest has been shrugged off inside Old Trafford as an attempt by Fulham to drive the price up for an eventual sale – but with Saha so keen to move, the Premiership champions know they hold most of the aces.

Having set their sights on a top-six spot, the fifth-placed Cottagers will badly need a replacement if Saha leaves – so if they accept the inevitable it is in their interests to do the deal as quickly as possible.

In contrast, United can afford to play the waiting game. They know Saha is cup-tied, so the earliest he could possibly make his debut is on January 31 when Southampton visit Old Trafford.

It gives Ferguson a fortnight before he has to move in for the kill, by which time the price should have settled to a level United are willing to reach.

Chief executive David Gill certainly has no intention of getting involved in the kind of protracted transfer saga which eventually saw Ronaldinho turn down a move from Paris St Germain in the summer – something Saha is equally keen will not happen to him.

“I feel that the road which leads to Old Trafford is about to open,” he said.

“I know that Manchester don’t want to fall out with Fulham, but their [Fulham’s] managers should also remember they are businessmen.

“Bluffing people is good. But when a big amount is put on the table they should stop showing off; otherwise they end up with an angry and frustrated player.”

For this week at least, United officials are more concerned about reaching a final decision over whether Rio Ferdinand should appeal against his eight-month drugs ban.

Ferdinand has until Monday to inform the Football Association of his intended course of action, although the indications are that an announcement will be made some time over the weekend.

Club director and solicitor Maurice Watkins initially claimed an appeal was “inevitable” – but speculation is growing that Ferdinand will accept the punishment.

If that proves to be the case his last game would be against Wolves at Molineux this weekend, and he would not be free to resume his career until September 20 – by which time he would have missed this summer’s European Championships and England’s first two World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Poland.