Sneijder drops United hint

The Netherlands international has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford as a possible replacement for Paul Scholes.

When asked by reporters if he would like to join United, he replied: “Yes, but nobody has called officially. Maybe there have been unofficial talks.

The situation is that I am an Inter Milan player but there’s a chance that I will leave. If something crosses my path, I have enough time to take a decision about it.

“It is down to the club. If a good bid comes in, they have to let me go. They don’t want to lose me but there’s a chance they will.”

Sir Alex Ferguson has played down speculation that Sneijder is a target for the club, but Manchester United chief executive David Gill has refused to rule out another summer signing.

“The important point is that you never know," Gill said in July. "I've been around in football long enough to know things change quickly.

"Somebody may become available and we can say at that point we are interested."

Good friend and Netherlands team-mate Rafael van der Vaart said of Sneijder's situation on Monday: “Of course he would like to play in England, it’s the biggest league in the world.

“He’s a good friend of mine and we have contact almost every day. He knows what to expect in the Premier League.”