BARCA TARGET GIGGS AND BECKHAM

Former Barcelona trainer Llorenc Serra Ferrer has revealed the club tried to sign Manchester United duo David Beckham and Ryan Giggs after Luis Figo left for Real Madrid.

"When Figo left us, it was not only a great player departing, but the spiritual leader of the team itself. The team never recaptured the spirit it lost from Figo and we suffered because of that.

"I said that we should try and buy Beckham, he would have adapted perfectly to the style of Barcelona. But we could not bring him, soon after this we thought about getting Giggs, we again made moves, but it was not to be."

A few reports linked United with Roberto Carlos citing the following quotes in evidence:

"After proving myself in Italy and Spain, I would like to play some time in England. The English have a special form of soccer because it is sincere, authentic and the players there do not throw themselves to the ground to obtain decisions.

"Italy has a very serious football game and it is not watched like a spectacle. The only important thing is to win and it does not matter how. The great Italian team has, at the most, one or two great players."

Philippe Mexes' agent admits Arsenal and Manchester United have long been interested in the defender - but insists he is not set for a move to the Premiership. Olivier Jouanneaux, said:

"I know that he has not said that to anyone. I think what they did is use what he said two or three years ago. The fact that two great European clubs are interested in Philippe is notnew, especially because he has kept improving in the past years.

"There has been constant contact with Manchester United and Arsenal but I guess some other big clubs also keep good relationships with the players they could buy one day. Philippe has no intention to leave Auxerre, this has not even crossed his mind."

Meanwhile Veron's agent has blamed United's training regime for his poor formlast year. Gustavo Mascardi told 4-4-2:

"Juan was very positive in the first six months and alarmingly far away from his real level in the second part of the season. There was a mistake with his fitness training.

"He didn't have a hard work-out programme and that caused him huge problems for the rest of the season, with the World Cup as the final consequence."