MANCHESTER UNITED: The Premiership champions have included the cost of David Beckham's new contract in their latest half-year figures even though he has yet to sign on the dotted line.
United have agreed to backdate Beckham's hike in wages to the start of this season if he signs before the end of the campaign.
The club remain optimistic Beckham will sign by then and in anticipation of this they have included the likely terms of his deal in their figures for the six-month period up to January 31st.
The England captain's new contract is expected to be worth around £100,000 a week, including his image rights clause, and United claim they are showing financial prudence by making an allowance for it.
United's logic is sound, but it reveals just how confident they are that Beckham will sign. Beckham's salary is set to rocket by just under 300 per cent and his new deal is one of the reasons why United's wage bill has risen by a staggering £9.5million over the six-month period.
Roy Keane's new deal, which is reportedly worth around £80,000 a week, is not included in the results and he signed after January 31st.
The figures do include the raft of new contracts handed out by United at the back end of last season to the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers.
Although the rise in players' wages is massive, chief executive Peter Kenyon claims United can afford it. The club see this jump as a one-off and point out that players' salaries remain less than 50 per cent of turnover, which is the figure recommended by financial analysts.
Despite this large rise in players' wages United still posted a £13.6m increase in pre-tax profits. The Old Trafford club made £30.9m compared to £17.3m in the previous six-month period, while turnover rose to £81.8m.
Pre-tax profits were boosted by Jaap Stam's £16.5m move to Lazio and Andy Cole's £8m transfer to Blackburn. Profits less player sales showed a much smaller rise and they increased from £20.7m to £23.6m.
United are chasing Lazio for £12m they are still owed for last year's transfer and have enlisted FIFA to help them recoup it.
United have so far only received £4m of the £16m due following Stam's shock transfer last August. The cash-strapped Serie A side have already missed one £3m payment.
BRAZIL: Some of football's most precious relics, including Pele's 1970 World Cup final shirt, go under the auctioneer's hammer at Christie's in London today.
The shirt Pele wore in Brazil's 4-1 win over Italy in the Mexico City final is set to realise up to £50,000 ($71,000). The yellow and green number 10 shirt is to be sold by Italian international Roberto Rosato, who swapped shirts with Pele at the final whistle.
MANCHESTER CITY: Jaap Stam insists he is not interested in joining Manchester City. The Division One leaders made an inquiry for the former Manchester United player a fortnight ago, according to his agent Ton van Dalen. But Stam, who has just returned after a doping ban, is intent on staying in Italy with Lazio and insists a return to Manchester is not on the agenda.
