Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Manchester United are set to offer new contracts to Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

The veteran duo have become part of the furniture at Old Trafford over the years, having spent their entire careers to date with the Red Devils.

They are now set to be offered the opportunity to prolong their association with the club even further by penning fresh terms.

Giggs, the reigning PFA Player of the Year and latest member of the Premier League 100-goals club, will be rewarded for a number of performances which belie his years.

Scholes, who is also entering the twilight of his distinguished career, will also be awarded a new deal despite passing his 35th birthday.

Ferguson is convinced that the pair can still do a job at the highest level and is determined to tie them down for a further 12 months.

“Ryan will be offered a new contract for next season, which is an indication of what we think of him coming up to 37 next season, and Paul knows he will be offered one as well,” Ferguson said.

Both Giggs and Scholes have seen their first-team opportunities limited of late in an effort to save their ageing legs for the games that matter most.

Ferguson, though, continues to be amazed by the level of performance they put in and believes they are capable of going on for some time yet.

Humility

“Ryan is an example to young people,” said Ferguson.

“He has humility and he has never changed and I think he is having his best years now.

“He has retained that amazing quality in his game and also an enthusiasm to play.”

He added: “I spoke to Paul and he said he didn’t actually say he was thinking of his future.

“When you get to that age every player starts to think about what the future holds for him.

“But when you see Paul’s performances at West Ham and in Wolfsburg last week there is no reason to think he can’t do it again next year again.

“Maybe he thinks he should be playing every game. That’s fine, but I know that’s not fair.

“We want the quality. We want to see Scholes perform like he did on Tuesday and the best way of doing that is to gauge the games we know he is going to dominate.”

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Liverpool star Fernando Torres has admitted to Sky Sports News that Liverpool are now targeting Europa League and FA Cup glory this season.

The Spaniard insists that a top-four finish, along with some silverware, will result in a successful campaign for the Reds.

Torres concedes that Liverpool’s campaign has not hit the heights they expected back in August after an early exit from the UEFA Champions League and a weak Premier League bid.

“This season is not the season we were expecting at the beginning of the season, but these things happen,” he told Sky Sports News.

“We were thinking of trophies, first choice was the Champions League and the Premier League – we are out of the Champions League, and we are really far out from the Premier League, so we now change our targets.

“We have to think the Europa League and FA Cup are the two competitions we can win this season and obviously trying to stay in the top four.”

Togetherness

Torres insists that despite their indifferent campaign, Liverpool can still achieve much this season, but they need to remain united.

“Staying together is the main thing now,” he insisted.

“If we can stay together, manager, players, staff, everyone at the club, we have quality enough to stay in the top four and win trophies.

“At the end of the season if we win one trophy, it will have been a nice season, so we are on target.

“The people of Liverpool deserve to play in finals, whether it be in Europe or England, it is a long time since we played in a final and they deserve, they deserve more trophies.”

Looking ahead to the Super Sunday clash with Arsenal – which you can see live on Sky Sports – Torres is hopeful they can overcome Arsene Wenger’s men.

“Arsenal are doing quite well this season,” he said. “They are close to the top and playing with young players and doing really good. The mentality of the manager and players is brilliant.

“But we are playing at Anfield and with the help of our supporters we can beat anyone.”

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Sir Alex Ferguson has reiterated that Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster will not be leaving the club on loan in January.

Foster has been tipped to join another Premier League club for the second half of the season in order to boost his prospects of claiming a place in England’s World Cup squad.

Sunderland and Tottenham have been linked with the 26-year-old, who started the season as first choice while Edwin van der Sar was injured.

However, during Van der Sar’s latest injury absence, Poland international Tomasz Kuszczak has been preferred between the posts by United boss Ferguson.

It has led to suggestions that Ferguson is prepared to let Foster go out on loan in January, but the Red Devils chief has no plans to sanction a move.

“Nothing is going to happen with Ben,” said Ferguson. “He is here and this is where he stays.”

Edwin wait

Meanwhile, Van der Sar is due to return from injury in a week’s time and Ferguson also expects to soon hear from the 39-year-old Dutchman regarding his future plans.

Van der Sar’s contract expires at the end of the season and there have been reports that the keeper will delay retirement for one more campaign.

Ferguson added: “Edwin usually comes to us around this time and tells us what he wants to do.

“It generally comes in the form of a telephone call from his agent to (chief executive) David Gill, but we have not received it yet.

“At the moment Edwin has an injury, but it is not serious and he could be ready for next week.”

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Alisher Usmanov has intensified the battle for power at Arsenal after he increased his stake in the club.

Usmanov’s Red & White Holdings now have a 26.07 per cent stake in the Gunners after the Russia-based tycoon claimed more shares on Friday.

Stan Kroenke still remains the largest individual shareholder at the Premier League club after the American moved edged closer to the takeover threshold when he brought another 10 shares last month to move to 29.9 per cent.

Under the strict financial rules of the City, were anyone to cross the 29.99 per cent takeover limit, they he would be obliged to make a formal offer for the remainder of the shares at the highest price paid for stock during the past 12 months.

However, shareholders would not be forced to sell, and so after the offer had been made, if the party were not able to reach 50 per cent, then they could not return to make another takeover offer for 12 months, unless invited to do so by the company.

Power struggle

It has been suggested the continued investment by Kroenke – who is already an Arsenal director – is designed to fend off possible aggressive moves by Usmanov.

Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, who left the board during December last year, could well hold the balance of power with her family’s 15.9 per cent stake – which if sold to either Kroenke or Usmanov would push them well past the takeover bracket.

Earlier this year, the Arsenal board turned down Usmanov’s proposed rights issue to generate new cash, in favour of the status quo which sees the Emirates Stadium club remain self-financing.

The Uzbek businessman had argued the scheme would help to reduce both the long-term debt of some 400million, which is mainly associated with the new stadium, and also hand manager Arsene Wenger extra transfer funds.

But Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood made reference to Usmanov’s proposal in his report to the shareholders.

“In the final analysis I believe it distils down to a decision about whether it is appropriate to raise money from shareholders to purchase the registrations and pay the wages of footballers,” he said.

“This is not something that Arsenal has ever done previously in its history and it would be at odds with our ethos of running the club as a business which is self-sustaining and pays its own way in the world.”

Liverpool v Arsenal Correct Score: Draw 4-4 200/1

Everton are in talks to bring USA international striker Landon Donovan to Goodison Park on loan from LA Galaxy.

With the Major League Soccer season having finished, the Toffees are keen to strike a deal similar to the one which will see Donovan’s team-mate David Beckham head back to AC Milan next month.

David Moyes is eager to bolster his squad for the second half of the season with Everton hit hard by injuries and struggling towards the wrong end of the Premier League table.

The experienced forward, who is set to captain his country at the World Cup this summer when USA will meet England, spent a similar spell with Bayern Munich last season.

“Landon is a player David Moyes has identified as someone he would like to bring to the club,” chief executive Robert Elstone told the club’s official website.

“We are working to make that happen and hope we can reach agreement soon with all the appropriate parties.”

Donovan could join his new team-mates on 2nd January if negotiations are successful before heading back to Los Angeles in March for the new MLS campaign.

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