Premiership champions Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona striker Javier Saviola, 25, who has already confirmed that he will leave Camp Nou when his contract expires this summer.Manchester United Trail Saviola
Saviola will be available on a free transfer, and according to The Sun newspaper, has expressed a preference for United after six years at Barca (two of them out on loan), although Arsenal, Liverpool, Bolton, Valencia and Real Madrid are all reportedly interested too.
He said: "I consider my career at Barcelona is finished. There are several offers on the table."
Saviola moved to Spain from River Plate in his native Argentina in 2001 as a 19-year-old when Louis van Gaal was manager of Barcelona, but despite a good goalscoring return he has struggled to command a regular starting place with the Catalan club.
'El Conejo' (the Rabbit) was sent on loan to Monaco for the 2004-05 season and then to Sevilla for the following season, where he helped the club win the Uefa Cup.
Back at Barca this season for the final year of his contract, he got more chances when Samuel Eto'o was out injured, and scored eight goals in one spell of six matches, yet still found himself dropped to bench again when the Cameroonian star returned.
Several leading strikers are being linked with Manchester United, including, ironically, Eto' - as well as Fernando Torres, Saviola and Nicolas Anelka.
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Real and Barca out to grab GabGABRIEL HEINZE is at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Manchester United left-back, 29, will sort out his future after the Copa America next month.
The Argie’s representatives believe United will let him go for £5million with Patrice Evra ahead of him in the pecking order.
Heinze said: “When the internationals are over we’ll see where I will play. I don’t know if I’ll play for Madrid or Barcelona.”
Heinze was in Madrid last week for talks about replacing Brazil legend Roberto Carlos.
His brother and advisor Sebastian said: “As well as Real Madrid there are other teams showing interest in Gabriel, like Barcelona and Juventus in Italy.”
Heinze spent four season in Spain at Real Valladolid. He moved to Paris St Germain in 2001 and joined United for £6.9m in 2004.
www.thesun.co.uk