Fergie issues ultimatum to Brown

Alex Ferguson is reluctantly preparing to put Wes Brown up for sale in the January transfer window after the defender turned down a new contract.

The 24-year-old would become a free agent in the summer, forcing the club to sell him at the earliest opportunity or lose him for nothing under the Bosman rule.

Brown is reported to be one of the lowest-paid players in United’s first-team squad and has asked for a sizeable wage increase to bring him in line with his team-mates.

However, the club appear unwilling to meet his demands because of the player’s susceptibility to injury.

A clearly irritated Ferguson told the Guardian: “We’ve made the boy an offer and he’s turned it down. It’s his decision. He can please himself – there are no more talks planned that I’m aware of. We’d like to avoid the situation where he leaves on a free transfer.

“If he wants to stay we would love that. But if he wants to look elsewhere that’s up to him – there’s nothing you can do with modern-day footballers.”

Brown has switched agents and is now represented by SFX.

“He has changed his agent – I don’t know why,” said Ferguson.

“He’s got an agent that has given him advice that I do not understand. I think the problem is with the agent, not the player.”

Goalkeeper Roy Carroll, who has started United’s last three games, is another who is out of contract next summer.