Saha moves closer to sealing United move

Louis Saha was today putting the final touches to his controversial move to Manchester United after undergoing a medical.

United agreed a deal in principle with Fulham – thought to be worth around £12m (€17m) – for the French striker on Sunday, but the transfer will not be sewn up until manager Alex Ferguson returns with the squad after a break in Dubai tomorrow and the results of Saha’s medical examinations are known.

But if, as expected, the 25-year-old is given the all clear and can agree personal terms, Saha will not be eligible for Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Northampton after playing – and scoring twice – in round three for the Cottagers.

With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s return apparently some way off, Ferguson was anxious to get someone in before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Saha, who has scored 15 goals this season, fits the bill in as much as he is experienced and eligible to play in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, the Football Association have revealed details of the 121-page Rio Ferdinand appeal document they received from United on Monday.

A statement on www.theFA.com read: “Following various media reports, the FA wish to clarify the nature of the appeal documents relating to Rio Ferdinand received on Monday.

“The 121 pages are made up of 96 pages of appendices; 24 pages are the notice of appeal itself; one page consists of a covering letter.

“Every single document will be studied in detail over the coming days. Manchester United’s appeal was received at the end of the 14 days they had had to respond to the Disciplinary Commission’s decision and reasons.”

The FA have 21 days from Monday to respond to the appeal. Ferdinand, who appealed against both the guilty verdict and length of the punishment after failing to take a drug test at United’s training ground on September 23, officially started his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test yesterday.

But it seems a conclusion to the long-running saga is still some way off, even though the 25-year-old England defender agreed to start his ban on January 20.

Despite beginning his suspension as planned, the 25-year-old and his legal team hope a reduction in his punishment on appeal would allow him to play in this summer’s European Championships.

However, any hope that the case, whose length has already attracted the ire of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will be concluded swiftly appears well wide of the mark.

In all likelihood, the FA will require the full three weeks just to analyse the counter-claims United have made and with a suitable hearing date then to be agreed between both sides’ legal teams and the non-FA aligned QC who will chair the new panel, it could be the end of February before Ferdinand learns his fate.