Thuram warms to United talk

Less than 48 hours after Alex Ferguson made public his desire to recruit the Parma and France defender Lilian Thuram, the player responded positively to the suggestion yesterday. Thuram recently signed an extension to his contract at Parma but indicated that if he had known of Ferguson's opinion he might not have done so.

"Manchester United are one of the best clubs in the world and it is very gratifying to be wanted by them," said Thuram. "I have heard about their interest in me and who could pass up the chance of going to play for them? I am under contract with Parma until 2005, so the directors of the two clubs will need to talk it over.

"I don't know what Parma want to do. I have just extended my contract after a long period of thought and I didn't do so with the intention of changing my mind straight away. But if Parma are willing to sell me then that is an entirely different story."

Unless Thuram causes Parma a problem over United's interest then it is unlikely that a fee of even £12 million would persuade them to part with a defender widely recognised as the best in Europe. At 28 Thuram is at his peak and is as important and inspirational a figure to Parma as Gabriel Batistuta is to Fiorentina.