Lucas deal snag

 

United face £4m price hike
Sir Alex Ferguson's pursuit of Lucas Moura hit another financial snag when it emerged that Sao Paulo’s asking price could soon increase to £34million. The Manchester United manager desperately wants to bolster his midfield with Lucas’s attacking flair and sent chief scout Jim Lawlor to Brazil last week in an attempt to broker a deal for the 19-year-old. At the moment, Sao Paulo want around £30m — £23.5m for themselves and some £6m for the player under a contract agreement that gives him 20 per cent of any fee.

But that cut rises to 30 per cent after August 1, and with Sao Paulo president Juvenal Juvencio refusing to reduce the club’s £23.5m share, that would increase the overall deal by £4m.

Dimitar Berbatov is an ambitious loan target for West Ham, according to the Daily Mirror. It is suggested Hammers boss Sam Allardyce will turn to the Bulgarian as an alternative target to Liverpool's Andy Carroll.

The Times report that Wayne Rooney is one of 12 British-based players on the short-list for UEFA's Best Player in Europe award.

In the Daily Telegraph, Ryan Giggs has revealed he wants to meet Wimbledon champ Roger Federer during the Olympics. The Welshman also added: "I just hope that fellow British footballers can experience what I’ve experienced so far this week and hopefully experience in the next few weeks. I hope it is not a one-off. I hope in future Olympics there will be more Great Britain teams."