EXODUS

Juan Sebastian Veron looks likely to be the second big-name midfielder to leave Old Trafford this summer after admitting he wants to return to Italy.

"I think I will be playing in Serie A next season," he told the Italian media. "I am flattered that a few teams are looking at me. Big players are good in big teams and I would not have any problems playing for Hector Cuper [at Inter] or Marcello Lippi [at Juventus]. I will be the right man."

"In the first year I was not fit," he said. "I had knee problems but I gritted my teeth and got through for the team. The knee injury flared up in the second season and stopped me playing at my best."

However the Sun reckon he is off to Barca for eight million.

The men trying to broker a deal are super-agent Pini Zahavi, a close friend of United boss Ferguson, and Francis Martin, who works with Fergie's son Jason at Elite Management.

Zahavi was heavily involved in arranging the planned £30m Beckham move to the Nou Camp, which collapsed only because of the player's desire to join Real Madrid.

He was a central figure, too, in Veron's arrival in Manchester from Italy.

Now Barca hope to use Zahavi's influence at Old Trafford to net Veron for themselves.

Barca know that if United get Ronaldinho, coupled with the signing of Eric Djemba-Djemba from Nantes, then that could well make Veron surplus to requirements.