HOW TO UPSET WENGER

Sir Alex Ferguson has instructed Manchester United's board to reinvestigate the possibility of prising Patrick Vieira away from Arsenal.

Sources both inside and connected to the club have confirmed that following the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid, the Premiership champions are ready to respond in spectacular style with a £22m bid to lure perhaps the most sought-after midfielder in Europe. There has been no official contact between the clubs but United's inquiries have not been so discreet that Highbury officials are unaware of Ferguson wanting to conclude what he considers to be unfinished business.

With only a year remaining on his contract, Arsenal are becoming increasingly twitchy as Vieira dithers about signing a new deal that would keep him at the club until 2006. However much their manager Arsène Wenger will be lothed to admit it, the directors with financial responsibilities would have to be sorely tempted by a £22m offer.

Were Ferguson to succeed, it would represent one of the most audacious and controversial moves in his 29 years of management and a transfer more daring than that of Madrid's pursuit of Beckham. In a team already comprising Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, with the Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho possibly to come, it would all but end the argument about the destiny of next season's championship before a ball has even been kicked in anger.

In the meantime, however, Ferguson intends to test out his theory, frequently aired in private, that Vieira would gladly swap Highbury for Old Trafford and disregard the damage it would inflict on his standing with Arsenal's fans