Venables turns up heat on Rio

[Mark]

Rio Ferdinand will have to demand a transfer if he wants to move to Manchester United in a £30million-plus move.

New Leeds manager Terry Venables left his captain and England centre half in no doubt yesterday that a written request - which would cost Ferdinand more than £1m in loyalty bonuses - would be the player's only way out.

Venables met unsettled Ferdinand for the first time since taking over at Elland Road, with their London meeting lasting less than an hour before the former England coach had to fly out on a television assignment to the Seychelles.

But while using all the persuasive charm that has been a mark of his managerial career, Venables also laid it on the line that Ferdinand, 23, will have to force the issue if he wants permission to walk away.

Venables' hard- line approach - with the backing of chairman Peter Ridsdale - not only leaves Ferdinand with the problem of incurring the wrath of Elland Road's notoriously volatile fans. It also turns up the heat nicely at Old Trafford, where manager Sir Alex Ferguson is becoming increasingly anxious about landing a top quality central defender before the Premiership campaign opens on August 17.

Ferdinand, due to begin his World Cup-delayed pre-season training on Thursday, went away to consider Venables' warning as well as the glowing picture that was painted of the future at Leeds.

The former West Ham defender stepped from his talks with Venables into a longer sit-down with agent Pini Zahavi, who brokered his £18m move to Leeds 20 months ago. Ferdinand is due to fly out with Leeds on their tour to the Far East and Australia next Saturday, but he has been given no deadline to decide where he goes from here.

Ridsdale has always maintained that the Ferdinand situation, which has simmered all summer, was not a factor in Leeds' efforts to raise £15m to ease the club's debts by selling at least two players.

That financial pressure will ease further with the £9m transfer today of rebel Lee Bowyer to Liverpool and fellow midfielder Olivier Dacourt's expected £15m move to Juventus.

[Red Devil]

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has reiterated the club's determination to keep England defender Rio Ferdinand.

The £30million-rated centre-half is considering his future after Manchester United expressed an interest in taking him to Old Trafford.

Ferdinand has told Leeds he will make a decision soon following talks with new manager Terry Venables but Ridsdale insists the club have no intention of letting him go.

He told the Yorkshire Post: "As far as I am concerned Rio Ferdinand is going nowhere and I find all this talk about him leaving quite amusing considering that we haven't had a bid for him.

"I have no reason to doubt that Rio wants to stay at Leeds United.

"He has not indicated that he wants to leave and, while it is purely hypothetical, if he were to hand in a transfer request it would be firmly rejected by the board."

Ferdinand still has four years left on the contract he signed when Leeds made him the world's most expensive defender by splashing out #18million in November 2000.

The club clearly expect the 23-year-old ex-West Ham defender to honour most of his deal and Venables has also tried to convince him to stay.

His former boss at Upton Park, Harry Redknapp, however believes the lure of Old Trafford will prove too good to turn down.

Redknapp, now Portsmouth manager, told Sky Sports News: "Terry Venables coming in (as Leeds manager) has made it very difficult for him because Rio has got a lot of respect for Terry.

"But I think he may lean towards Manchester United. It is THE club and I think if he wants to further his career and play on the biggest stage, I think that's the place to play.

"I met Rio yesterday and we had a cup of tea and had a chat. He's such a fantastic young fellow, he really is. He hasn't changed one little bit since he first came into my office as a 14-year-old.

"It is a dilemma, but it's not a bad situation to be in - you're choosing between two of the best teams in the country. I think most players would love to be in that position.

"I get a feeling that he may just sway towards Manchester United."

[Red Devil]

Even if Rio does decide that he wants to move to OT its not over by any means - it will drag on