Manchester United have opened talks over a new contract for Antonio Valencia but negotiations have hit an impasse over image rights. The Ecuador winger is halfway through the four-year deal he signed after arriving from Wigan for £16million in June 2009. United are prepared to improve Valencia’s £50,000-a-week contract but early discussions faltered when his representatives asked for image rights to be included in the new package. Old Trafford chief executive David Gill is refusing to agree to image rights clauses while investigations continue by HM Revenue and Customs, who believe they may be able to recoup millions owed in tax on the payments across the Premier League. United are still optimistic they will reach a compromise with Valencia, 25, who has been one of their most impressive performers after recovering from the serious ankle injury he suffered in September.
In transfer news, The Sun credits Sunderland and Bolton with an interest in United defender Wes Brown, while Mirror columnist Robbie Savage urges Sir Alex Ferguson to try and sign Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder.
It seems some good may come of United's Champions League final hiding at the hands of Barcelona. As Sir Alex Ferguson intimated last week, the Reds' defeat highlights flaws in the framework of youth development in England, and Gareth Southgate - the FA's head of elite development - tells The Daily Telegraph: "A lot of what happened at Wembley should be a fantastic catalyst."
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