Source: Daily_Mail
Foster's prospects hit by rumours of renewed United bid for Schalke's Neuer
Sir Alex Ferguson has set himself a near-impossible task after identifying the candidate he believes is best qualified to succeed Edwin Van Der Sar as Manchester United's first-choice keeper next season.[LNB]Under pressure: Foster's position as Van der Sar's successor is under threat[LNB]After an exhaustive search that has taken in CSKA Moscow's Russianumber one Igor Akinfeev and Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler, followingdoubts about Ben Foster's readiness to step up, Ferguson is believed tohave settled on Manuel Neuer as his prime target.[LNB]But sources close to the Germany keeper claim that prising him awayfrom home club Schalke would be as difficult as trying to persuadeSteven Gerrard to turn his back on Liverpool.[LNB]Bayern Munich are also pursuing the 23-year old but admit they havelittle hope of landing him after having a bid rejected during thesummer. Challenged on their interest on German television, Bayernpresident Franz Beckenbauer replied: 'It is true we want him at ourclub, but he is one player Schalke will never sell.'[LNB]No 1 target: Schalke 04's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocks the ball during the penalty shoot-out after the round of 16 second-leg Champions League tie at Porto[LNB]Sportsmail understands Neuer's long-term contract contains an £18million escape clause that could be activated next summer. [LNB]It would still take all Ferguson's powers of persuasion to enticehim to Old Trafford, though, even if the United manager agreed to matchan asking price that would double the British record £9millionSunderland paid for Craig Gordon two years ago.[LNB]Schalke boss Felix Magath spoke out yesterday over growing interestin Neuer and underlined the seemingly unbreakable bond that existsbetween the star of Germany's European under-21 final victory last Juneand the club he has always supported.[LNB]'We would never even contemplate letting him go, because he is the symbol of this club,' said the former Bayern coach. [LNB]'He was born and raised here in Gelsenkirchen, and, right up to thetime he started playing for us, he queued up to sit in the stands andcheer the team on. He is a total darling of the Schalke crowd, and ifever we sold him, we would be ripping the heart out of this club.'[LNB]With Van Der Sar due to retire at the end of the season, Fergusonmust now decide whether to continue with one of his most testingtransfer missions or reassess the claims of Akinfeev and Adler.[LNB] MANCHESTER UNITED
