United set to land Forlan

Manchester United FC looked to have beaten Middlesbrough FC to the €11.2m signature of Club Atlético Independiente's Diego Forlan after the Uruguayan striker arrived at Old Trafford for talks on Friday.

Terms agreed
Middlesbrough were confident they had landed the highly rated 22-year-old after club officials travelled to South America and agreed terms with Independiente. However, the Argentinian club stalled on the deal when Middlesbrough revealed they wanted to pay the fee in instalments, allowing United to step in and match the asking price.

Economic crisis
Independiente were desperate for money following the economic crisis in Argentina and wanted a one-off payment. Forlan said he had opted for a move to Old Trafford because of "the things that Manchester United offer more than Middlesbrough". The forward said he was going to sign a deal "for the rest of this season and then four more years".

'A bold move'
Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren said that it came as no surprise when his former mentor, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, joined the chase for his signature. "I thought it was always a bold move going for this player," said McClaren. "We always felt that although we might have had a chance, the competition can always pull one on you."

Champions League eligibility
Forlan flew into Gatwick airport this morning and, having opted not to fly on to Newcastle as planned, he instead travelled to Manchester. The Uruguayan will be free to play in the rest of United's UEFA Champions League campaign. The English champions are top of their second stage group after two games and face FC Nantes Atlantique when the competition resumes on 20 February.