The Dutch World Cup star has revealed that he would have considered a switch to Old Trafford during the January transfer window if Sir Alex Ferguson had made a firm bid.
The United manager spent last summer tracking Sneijder, who he identified as the ideal successor to Paul Scholes.
The Inter Milan playmaker’s wage demands – believed to be in the region of £250,000 a week – put a block on a £30m deal, but sources claim he would welcome a transfer to the Premier League champions.
Sneijder’s future will come under intense scrutiny again in the summer and he is refusing to rule out a switch to United.
“There have never been any concrete contacts with Manchester United,” said the 27-year-old (right). “I see everything, I am not blind, but there is nothing concrete right now.
“I am happy at Inter, but we will see. I currently have no contacts with other clubs and I am living day by day.
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“If, on the last day of the transfer window, an offer had arrived, maybe I would have left.
“The truth is that I feel at home at Inter, but I do not know where I will play next season.”
There still remain major question marks as to whether Ferguson would be willing to splash out so much money on a player who turns 28 in June.
The Scot prefers his new recruits to be under the age of 26 with potential sell on values.
Tottenham’s Luka Modric is another target – but Spurs are expected to demand in the region of £50m for the brilliant Croatian international.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a return to the Premier League and Old Trafford would be his first choice.
But United, who this week slipped further behind Real and Barcelona in the list of the world’s richest clubs, could not hope to match the £80m they received for the Portuguese in 2009.
United’s year-on-year turnover grew by £45m in 2010-11, but next year’s figures will be hit by their early Champions League exit this season.
Ferguson hasn’t come close to matching the club record £30.75m he spent on Dimitar Berbatov in 2008. Despite the retirements of Scholes, Edwin van der Sar and Gary Neville last year, he disappointed fans by failing to bring in a marquee signing last summer. Tweet
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Well at least we get to comment on yet another Sneijder story...!!
a W.S. story yet again. When will it ever stop.
Can i just head off the usual spats here - its irrelevent whether its Snejider or not. We're just not going to spend the sort of money you have to spend to bring in the best players in the world at their peak. Its that simple.
Also this sell on value is absolute tripe. This only applies if a player is a flop and you want to get rid of him within a yr or two. If you a player does well you hold onto him. So if you sign someone at 26 or at 28, if they do well you will keep them until they are 33 or 34 or whatever age they run out of steam, either way you get the same money back when you go to sell them. The only difference is you get 2 more yrs out of them if you buy them at 26 than 28, but then youre paying their wages for those 2 yrs so its not like theyre free. So can we please stop using the sell on thing as an excuse for not signing players.
As for Sneijder, his form is not as good now as it was a yr or two ago but he's still far and away better than anything we have. Modric would also be head and shoulders better than anything we have. But to buy these guys costs big fees and big wages. We it seems are no longer perpared to compete. Instead we're crying about no value and laughably trying to claim only 2 or 3 players in the world could improve us. The no value thing is a complete red herring. 10 yrs ago we were paying transfer fees that today we baulk at. Yet our turnover is much greater now than it was 10 yrs ago and transfer fees are also higher across the board, from lowly squad players to star men.
If we persist with this stance we will slip behind. Barca are on a different level to us and they continue to add. Real are also out of our league. On the domestic front we have been fortunate that Chelsea and Arsenal have badly declined, however City will overtake us if we do not respond. Its not simply about spending money for the sake of it. The fact is that we have not invested in the team sufficiently and it badly needs an injection of real quality, not penny pinching speculative punts on Bebe and Diouf. When we last won the Champions league we had the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez who could all claim to be world class players. We now only have Rooney. We do have other good players, dont get me wrong, but we're gradually diluting the quality with more and more players who would have been squad players in previous times. We need to step back up to the plate and stop crying poverty at a time when the club has never taken in as much money before
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Oh good, another Sneijder story....
No thanks, I'm really optimistc for the future with what we have or coming through.
As to Manchester United and the rich list, a few comments.
1. That the Madrid and Barca stadiums are bigger is largely beside the point. It's how you fill it and what profit you make on the tickets that matter. According to the latest figures I can find (Independent Nov 2009) Manchester United get between around 4 to 5 thousand more fans on average each week than do the Spanish clubs. How much profit they make on tickets though I don't know.
2. As to shirt sales, again, according to the latest information I can find, between 2005 and 2009 Manchester United sold as many as Madrid (between 1.2 mil and 1.5 mil each season) compared to Barcelona with between 1 and 1.2 million. Things may well have changed but not enough, I would have thought, to make a big difference financially.
3. As to the exchange rate. It is what it is. You could equally argue that 3/4 years ago the £ was too strong.
4. The big difference is clearly tv revenue and I agree with others I much prefer our system for reasons of fairness and for making the league a better competition.
Comments are back? LOL. They should be on here for every single article anyway IMO.
proud to be a rag, united til i die
This 'flipping' Sneijder saga seems to have been going on as long as Coronation Street has been broadcasting! AARRGGHH!!
Since this latest "come and get me" story, it appears that Zenit St Petersburg are about to make an offer for him.
I just hope that the returning Tom Cleverley can show us on the field of play that we will not miss the Dutchman one iota!
United 'til I die!
Yawn, must be short of stories today. I know we say this every year, but a clear out is required over the summer. Must goes are; Carrick, Evans, The Twins, Anderson, Ferdinand, and Park. Scholes and Giggs only to be used in Carling Cup ganes/Europa Cup type games. Young is mediocre so a quality left sided player is required. Two midfielders are crucial, a holding type (not sure who to be honest, the lad from Newcastle would be ideal, but we looked at him and couldn't reach a decision!) and Modric for creativity. Progba's signature should also be sealed NOW! A class right back and left back are also needed, with a central defender brought in. It is also crucial to bring in an experienced goalkeeper. De Gea may come good but not for at least another 2-3 seasons, so a keeper like Brad Friedal would have been a great signing (and a damn sight cheaper than De Gea)
So, major surgery required, but it's unlikely as we have no money!
OMG not him again !
Would be nice. Fact of the matter is however: WE HAVE NO MONEY !!!!
Here we are again...... I see Wes has 'not ruled out' the move; but I bet Sir Alex has.
I think he has left it too late !
i think the boat has left the harbour , and him behind now , but you never know !
Sneijder now seems surplus to requirements at Inter - Claudio Ranieri has successfully rebuilt the team without him.
With his recurring injuries etc, I think he'll be looking for a final payday and sign for Anzhi.
It's like someone constantly trying to sell you a Ford Sierra for the price of a Merc. I'd sooner get the bus.
Cleverley/Pogba/Anderson/Carrick/Giggs/Park I am not sure he will sign anyone in CM this year unless he lets Anderson go as he just cant seem to get fit and stay fit, our midfield of late has surprised me with how good they have been esp Carrick keeping us in the PL but if he really wants to get serious about the CL then the chequebook needs to be dusted down, not for Sneijder he will be 29 next season so not a chance will he be bought but I just dont believe the quality is there to challenge in CL going forward, my own feeling is that with no CL money there will be very little activity in market and I fully expect to see 39 year old Giggs with 38 year old Scholsey next season whether thats a healthy position not so sure
I'm not saying we should sign w.s , but if we don't start competing in the transfer market we will end up putting ourselves into the future battle for forth place and then we will slip even further behind Madrid and barca
We certainly can compete. We need the right players. Sneijder is not one of them any longer. 2 years on this saga and he is only older and more fragile. I would have welcomed him a few years back but too late.
I think most United fans are starting to see why Fergie didnt go all out for Sneijder. Cleverly and now pogba look like they can step it up and give us a bright future. If the money is there for a big transfer, I think throw 50 million and berba at Real and see if they decide to relent to their daft fans that boo ronaldo. We'll take him home and cheer him every day.
We don't want him.
Too old, too expensive, too injury prone, too late!! Although I believe United will look to bolster the midfield, particularly if Fletch is still out, I would have expected a player below 23 or 24 to come in, if we are to maintain our usual philosophy of ensuring value for money. Wes' window of opportunity with United was last summer and I can't see him attracting such interest next time. As it's at least a month since the last Sneijder 'exclusive', we should not be surprised to see another story cropping up.
I think we should have got him in the summer. The money we are losing from not being
in the CL will probably be the same as what the fee would have been.
I hope Tom Cleverley will prove himself world class. Personally I would love to have
Wesley as well.
I feel that Man U have not been what they should been, for the past few years. And if they wish to compete with Man C, this is the class of player we should get. And become the worlds best gain!
Not worth the fee, not worth the wages, not done nowt worthwhile with Inter, injuy prone. I think the only way possible to end this WS merry go round right now is for the Bitters to buy him. Bring on TC and Pogba. There problem solved!
This transfer is to years too late, he is too old, too much money, and two youngsters waiting in the wings.