Manchester United's deal for Partizan Belgrade pair Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic is back on course. The Times says the move was thrown into doubt last month because of Tosic's wage demands and the number of agents trying to get involved in the transfer, prompting reports that Arsenal or Manchester City could hijack the deal.

But it emerged last night that, after another day of negotiations, those potential snags have been overcome and that, barring a last-minute hitch, the joint move will be announced in the coming days.

Tosic, a 21-year-old winger, is expected to move to Old Trafford immediately, having been granted a work permit, although the timing of Ljajic's arrival is less clear, given that the midfield player, 17, may benefit from spending the remainder of the season with Partizan.

Under the terms of the deal, United have agreed to pay Partizan a maximum of £16.3 million if the players meet certain pre-identified targets, but the up-front payments will be considerably smaller.