Champions' League preview/Stuttgart v Manchester Utd: Alex Ferguson is to sign a new deal that will keep him at Manchester United for at least four more seasons. Already the longest-serving manager in the Premiership, Ferguson received a formal new contract offer yesterday, the terms of which would take his service to the club beyond the 20-year mark and elevate him ahead of Sven-Goran Eriksson as the best-paid man in the business
The offer was faxed to him via his solicitors before the team flew to Stuttgart for tonight's Champions League tie against a German side that is fast gaining a reputation for inventive football and he immediately made it clear that he was willing to sign.
It followed a seven-hour board meeting at Old Trafford that concluded with the chief executive David Gill finalising a financial package reflecting Ferguson's status as the most successful manager in Britain.
Gill has made it his first major project since replacing Peter Kenyon and the club's ongoing financial success has allowed them to push the boat out.
Ferguson, whose present deal expires in June 2005, has the option of signing an extension for either two or three years, and his annual salary would leap from a figure in the region of £2.75 million to closer to £4 million backdated to the start of the season and with improved bonus payments.
"The club have made certain proposals which I received this morning," said Ferguson.
"It's not easy to get excited at my age but the important thing is that this is what I want to do," he added.
"I feel strong and healthy and there is no point retiring when you feel like this.
"You have to consider how you feel health wise and, secondly, do you still have the motivation? Those are questions I'm comfortable with."
Ferguson (61) did not rule out emulating Bobby Robson by staying in the job beyond his 70th birthday.
"I don't have a date in mind but if I still feel good I will consider carrying on," he added.
He then turned his thoughts to tonight's opponents and admitted that he would have preferred to meet the Germans at another time.
Stuttgart are top of the Bundesliga, in their best form for years and yet to concede a goal in their first seven league fixtures. Under the circumstances it was no surprise that he said he would be satisfied with a draw in the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium.
So far this season Stuttgart have combined some fluid attacking football with a parsimonious defence. Rudi Voller, the Germany coach, has likened the finishing skills of Kevin Kuranyi, a 21-year-old newcomer to the national team, to those of Ruud van Nistelrooy, and if Felix Magath's team keep out Cologne for the opening 68 minutes on Saturday Timo Hildebrand will break Oliver Kahn's goalkeeping record of not having conceded a league goal in 802 minutes.
"It's going to be a long and difficult night for us," Ferguson said. "We are seeing the emergence of a great team in Stuttgart so we will need to show what we have learned in Europe over the last few years."
Ferguson said he had spoken to the Rangers manager Alex McLeish but had taken little encouragement from the Scottish champions' 2-1 win over Stuttgart at Ibrox.
"The roof fell in on Stuttgart that night. Until Rangers scored they never looked in it; Stuttgart had been in total control," said Ferguson.
The French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, linked again with a move to Paris St-Germain, might be on the bench for the first time this season because of an injury to Roy Carroll.
But Ferguson reported no other problems and reiterated that Van Nistelrooy would remain their designated penalty-taker despite missing from his last three attempts and most notably a last-minute spot kick against Arsenal a fortnight ago.
