Ferdinand fancies trip abroad

Rio Ferdinand’s agent has admitted the Manchester United has a long-standing ambition to play abroad.

Pini Zahavi ridiculed reports he and his client held a meeting with Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon as “the mother of all jokes” but revealed that Ferdinand will go to the continent if he does not get the contract he wants at Old Trafford.

Zahavi told the Guardian: “He wants to stay at United and the idea is to extend his present deal by another three years.

“If he doesn’t sign a new deal he will leave in two years to play abroad, which has always been one of his ambitions.

“But I think he will stay providing the conditions are right.”