Real Madrid appear to have given Manchester United a clear run at Wigan Athletic winger Antonio Valencia.

"The only official offer has been from Real Madrid last January," the player's agent, Diego Herrera, said last night. "I don't know about Pérez, the offer came from the previous president [Ramón Calderón] so I don't know if they are going to go for him again."

Valencia would favour a move to Old Trafford rather than Madrid and Herrera added: "I feel it is the right time for him to leave, now that the Wigan manager [Steve Bruce] has left. He has three more years on his contract but he feels it is time to move on."