Waste of money taking on a 30 year old next year. We need minimum two central midfield players now. Keane and Scholes are bound to get injured or suspended. The clock is ticking SAF.

We need Ballack now. Pay the 8million asap.

That aint good enough, although I see the sense that as Keane retires Ballacks enters the fray. But at 29? I would think that's a 2-year mileage, even though German players can go up to 35-6. If that's the best we can get, then so be it. I suspect, however, that this is a way of avoiding spending after Owen comes in. What's the colour of M. Glazer's credit card? Mastercard - or some such?

Don't like the sound of a "gentleman's agreement". If there's no honour amongst thieves there must be even less amongst football agents...

Unless we buy a class midfielder to help our current creaking one, there is no way we can compete with Chelsea.

You always feel that it is the now situation that needs addressing,however if UNITED get him on a free in a years time that is good business.Does it mean Smith has a year to prove himself? My biggest fear over Ballack is that he's at the top of the hill looking down!!!

We have to buy him now! As soon as other clubs hear this they will bid for him just to stop us getting him. The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid etc wouldn't let us know their plans, why do we have to tell everybody ours! Does this now mean we will go for Owen and have to make do with our ageing players again this season in midfield? Roy Keane is a legend, but he can't go on forever and won't play every game this season. If we lose Ballack to somebody else who exactly are we going to sign to replace Keano? Here is a perfect opportunity and what do we do? - We stand around and wait for someone else to come in first as usual! Typical United.

United should stop fooling around in the transfer market and get both owen and ballack. With those two players in the side there is no reason united should not win the league. I see that idiot Kenyon has been talking from his arse again about how chelski will win the league this year without any resistance. united standards must hav dropped if the players that chelsea has can be considered all conquering. For crying out loud useless teams like city, liverpool and newcastle beat them last season. C'MON United shut Kenyon and his sidekick mourihno up once and for all.

He is already getting on, he is now in his prime if we cant have him now we should not bother at all.

In a year's time, he becomes a free agent and it would be better. 10 million pounds is still a large amount, well not by Real and Chelsea standards but those two are one offs. It would be nicer if in a year time, Essien became available and he is still nuts about joining us.

MU, do not be cheap, dish out the cash now or regret it later! At this World Cup Ballack will be the shinning star and his value will rise astronomically. No gentleman's agreement will overcome offers of 100 million Euros from Clubs like Real, Milan, and others. Get him now while you can! Otherwise, we are likely to believe that MU is just toying with its fans!

we seem to be only interested in players coming to the end of their career because we can get them on the cheap or nothing!

we should be in there fighting for Essien, it's not just about money, there's history & tradition when you play for Man United and whos to say he wouldn't choose us over Chelski ....

Gentlemans agreement? We had a signed agreement with Jon Obi Mikel and Chelsea have still managed to get him from us! We need a stronger midfield this season to challenge for major honours. Even if he does come next year, he will be 30 and maybe the best of his playing years will be behind him. Sign him now, B#8 million can be recouped by winning the Champions League!

We need someone now or have we settled for 2nd or 3rd? I feel Liverpool are stronger in depth than us now. We must have fresh ideas & motivation & that means farewell to AF & Carlos. Sentiment will cause long lasting decay.

I do not know whether the reports are true but that would reflect poor planning. First, the team is in dire need of depth in the midfield that Ballack would provide. Secondly, leaving a player like Ballack to float till next season is very uncertain. Abramovich could switch his attention to him and that would be the end. That is the same sluggishness that cost us Ronaldinho and Robben.

Anyhow, I am personally prepared for a very likely frustrating season! Why the club cannot do the obvious and sign Ballack now is beyond me.

I think Bayern will sell him now if they realise they'll get nowt in 12 months, just like Utd with Beckham. One thing Utd have never been is shy to spend cash, and this has been the case for decades. I think 9mil for Ballack is more than reasonable whether he's on the free or not because he'll help us win our trophy back, sick of saying it now!

By him now!

This is the story I reported earlier, in the other Ballack tread. This would be a fantastic transfer, if we can get a player like Ballack for free. That could be one of best transfers out there. Ballack at 29 for only sign-on-fee and wages would be a scoop. And It would let our youngsters get another two years to develop, along with a world star. But, if any club now came in with a great offer, he might go, we just have to see if he's a gentleman...

Typical of Fergie how old was Blanc when we finally got him.We keep hearing as much cash is available for quality players so whats all this nonesense why have we not bid for Essien infact who have we bid for who is any good.

Don't panic. This story has probably been put out to scare Bayern into doing a deal this summer at a sensible price. Just think how their money men will react to the thought of losing Ballack for nothing at the end of his contract. You see, Utd will get their man for less than B#6 Million!

Ballack is one of the best midfielders in the world no doubt about it and even footballing reasons aside from a marketing point of view United would be stupid not to sign him because as a comment was mentioned here, he is going to be the captain of the German national team at the world cup and is going to be constantly under the spotlight and one of the stars of the tournament... whats 8 million anyway? Chelski were offering 40 million or 60 million for Schevchenko, and he's older than Ballack!!! To be honest I think we should sign Ballack now to play alongside Keano and then move Scholes up to play alongside Rooney, allowing Rooney to get right in the box where he belongs and Scholes in the position he was born to play! Basically a 4-4-2... but with Scholes right behind Rooney. VAN DER SAR, G.NEVILLE, FERDINAND, SILVESTRE, HEINZE, KEANE, BALLACK (or Smithy), RONALDO, PARK, SCHOLES, ROONEY

Good shout Brian in Blackpool

Make hay while the sun still shines what next maybe it will be Mourinho after Ballack in January.

Ballack should be signed now to mount an immediate attack on the title

I am still not convinced by this story - in the past few weeks similar stories emerged from Italy and Spain. One of these reports stated that Inter Milan had a gentleman's agreement with Ballack to get him on a free next summer. The other report stated that Real Madrid had this gentleman agreement with Ballack.
Now, its either some of these reports are false or there are no gentlemen involved in these agreements!