Last Updated: Thu, 13 Dec 2012 09:55
Manchester United are playing down speculation Sir Alex Ferguson will meet Pep Guardiola for succession talks in New York next week.
The United boss is set to travel to the Big Apple after the Reds' home game against Sunderland on Saturday amid rumours that the ex-Barcelona coach is his chosen candidate to replace him in the Old Trafford manager's office.
Ferguson, who made a previous flying visit to New York in September where he 'bumped into' the Spaniard, is travelling to the city this time to visit his eldest son Mark and his family. who reside in Manhattan.
But the 70-year-old Scot does appear to be making plans for the future of the club ahead of his looming retirement and, after 26 years at the helm, it is possible that club owners the Glazers and chief executive David Gill have left Ferguson to recruit his own replacement.
Ferguson's brother Martin, who scouts for the club, has been spotted at a couple of Barcelona games recently and it is also possible that he has met up with Guardiola's father and brother, who regularly attend matches at the Nou Camp.
The 41-year-old coach is currently the most in-demand figure in football after taking a year out from the game following a spell of unparallelled success at the Nou Camp where he delivered two Champions League trophies, two Fifa World Club Cups and three La Liga titles.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are all expected to make their plays for Guardiola in the summer and, while other top clubs from around the world are hoping to tempt him, all the rumours point to a Premier League appointment.
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