Source: Daily_Mail
Stoke make move for former Manchester United hitman Ruud van Nistelrooy
Stoke City have made a sensational bid to bring former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy back to the Barclays Premier League.[LNB]The Real Madrid hitman has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeuand is desperate to clinch a move during the transfer window to bolsterhis chances of making Holland's World Cup squad. [LNB]Liverpool, Bolton and Birmingham have all been linked with a swoopfor the 33-year-old but the Potters, who are currently 10th in the league, have stepped up their bid by making an official enquiry to theSpanish giants. [LNB] Premier League return? Stoke City are keen to land former United striker van Nistelrooy [LNB]'It may be a long shot but we've made enquiries and we'll see what comes from them,' Coates told BBC Radio Stoke.[LNB]'It depends on him wanting games to make sure he goes to the World Cup.'[LNB]No deal: Potters' boss Tony Pulis [LNB]Van Nistelrooy scored an impressive 150 goals in 219 appearances during a five-year spell at Old Trafford.[LNB]But the Holland striker has failed to hit those heights in La Ligaand has managed just 141 minutes of football in the past year, after arecurrence of his knee ligament injury, which threatened to scupper hismove to United back in 2001. [LNB]And despite chairman Coates insisting the Potters are in the marketfor van Nistelrooy, manager Tony Pulis has dismissed the talk of atransfer as pure speculation. [LNB]'No, not at all,' he said, when asked about a move for the former United hitman.[LNB]'There's millions of players leaving and millions of players coming in.People have to fill their back pages, you just have to get on with it.'[LNB] Football fixture list slashed to pieces amid big freeze chaosAmbitious Stoke want Barca teen and Real reject Ruud van NistelrooyThe free XI: Cole, Van Nistelrooy and Petrov head list of out of contract starsSTOKE CITY FC
