Ruud is not for sale

Manchester United have dismissed speculation that their leading scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy is on his way to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Reacting to British newspaper reports that the 27-year-old Dutchman's agent Rodger Linse had held talks with the Spanish giants, a United spokesman affirmed on Thursday: "Ruud is not for sale. We have said this consistently, so I don't know what more we can do. He signed a new contract in January and has said himself over the last few days that he wants to stay with the club."

Reports said Nistelrooy is unhappy at United and did not play in last week's match against Liverpool because of an altercation he had with teammate David Bellion during training last week.