Call of Italy leaves Veron hoping to quit United

Juan Sebastian Veron looks likely to be the second big-name midfielder to leave Old Trafford this summer after admitting he wants to return to Italy.

Unlike David Beckham, the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, will be reluctant to see the Argentinian depart, despite his failure to convince since joining the club from Lazio for a then British record fee of £28m two years ago. However, Veron is aware of interest from both Juventus and Internazionale and seems determined to force his way out.

"I think I will be playing in Serie A next season," he told the Italian media. "I am flattered that a few teams are looking at me. Big players are good in big teams and I would not have any problems playing for Hector Cuper [at Inter] or Marcello Lippi [at Juventus]. I will be the right man."

Despite Ferguson's stubborn defence of the player, which ranged from throwing out the entire Manchester press corps from United's training ground with the words "you are all idiots" to alleging a media plot to unsettle him in the run-up to England's World Cup encounter with Argentina, Veron was rarely the right man at Old Trafford.

He was bought because Ferguson had finally decided to abandon the old 4-4-2 formation, which had brought United such success, in favour of a more fluid midfield with Veron acting as the pivot to feed Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman did his job but, despite making substantial improvements last season, Veron rarely did. In December, he put it down to joining a successful club, most of whose members had been there a long time. Yesterday, perhaps trying to talk himself up to potential buyers, Veron blamed injury.

"In the first year I was not fit," he said. "I had knee problems but I gritted my teeth and got through for the team. The knee injury flared up in the second season and stopped me playing at my best."

In the current financial climate, Manchester United might struggle to recoup half the fee they paid for Veron, although Ferguson seems in pole position to land Ronaldinho after Barcelona admitted they could not match the near £14m United had offered Paris St-Germain. Real Madrid have made a similar bid but it is hard to believe that after bringing Beckham to the Bernabeu, they could possibly want another attacking midfielder.

Both Real and Barcelona badly need a high-quality central defender and the Catalans have moved quickly to try to secure the services of Chelsea's highly-rated William Gallas by offering to double the salary of around £625,000 he receives at Stamford Bridge. Although he turned down the opportunity to go to the Nou Camp in January, Gallas has not been slow to voice his frustrations with the London club. He has a clause in his contract that would compel Chelsea to accept any bid of £7.5m or above.

Gallas would be joining a new manager in Catalonia, Frank Rijkaard. Despite steering them from 12th into a Uefa Cup position with a last-day victory over Celta Vigo, Raddy Antic was yesterday dismissed with this epitaph from Barca's new sporting director, Txiki Begiristain: "He met his objective of getting the club into Europe but we believe a new coach is needed."

Rijkaard, who resigned as Netherlands manager after their defeat in the semi-finals of Euro 2000, has had an immediate impact by persuading Phillip Cocu to reject an offer from Arsenal and take a 30 per cent pay-cut. His Dutch team-mate, Frank de Boer, had hinted before Rijkaard's appointment that he was prepared to make the same offer but has been deemed surplus to requirements.

The Blackburn manager, Graeme Souness, who has long been involved in talks to bring Rangers' centre-half, Lorenzo Amoruso to Ewood Park, yesterday admitted he would be interested in signing De Boer, who is 33 and believes he has "two to three years left at the top".