KLEBERSON

Manchester United hope to parade the Brazilian midfielder Kleberson alongside his compatriot Ronaldinho by the end of the week after opening negotiations with Atletico Paranaense over a £5.5m transfer.

Kenyon met the Atletico president Mario Celso Petraglia over the weekend and further discussions are planned for today. The delegation from Curitiba had hoped to raise nearer £7.5m for the 24-year-old. Yet they are prepared to compromise, with Leeds, the only other team to have expressed a firm interest, able to offer only £3m of which only £1m was to be paid up front.

United's confidence will dismay the Leeds manager Peter Reid, who was informed that initial talks with Petraglia last week had progressed well and hoped to spend on Kleberson a large proportion of the £3m generated by Harry Kewell's sale to Liverpool. Leeds were prepared to offer the Brazilian about £15,000 a week.

Now it appears the Yorkshire club have lost out to rivals across the Pennines yet again. Kleberson boasts 20 international caps and performed well during Brazil's largely unimpressive Confederations Cup campaign last month.