£12million New Year move for Lassana Diarra

According to ManUtd.com Diarra is Fergie's kind of Lass.  Alex Ferguson is set to reinforce his Manchester United midfield with a £12million New Year move for Real Madrid's Lassana Diarra. Boss Fergie is growing resigned to the fact crock Owen Hargreaves is unlikely to play again after more than two years on the Old Trafford sidelines. And with Paul Scholes, 36, also approaching the end of his career, Ferguson sees former Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth ace Diarra as the solution. The French international has become frustrated with life on the bench since Real signed German World Cup stars Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira in the summer.

Elsewhere, press coverage of United is dominated by the draw with Birmingham - or rather, the Reds' reaction to Lee Bowyer's controversial 89th-minute equaliser. For example, "Ferguson cries foul after disputed goal costs United" is The Guardian's take on it, while the Daily Mail has "Fuming Fergie rages over Bowyer leveller - claiming a foul AND handball."