Manchester United are prepared to sell Nemanja Vidic to Real Madrid. The Daily Mail says Real coach Jose Mourinho continues to eye Vidic as he looks to build a team that can wrest the Champions League crown from their great rivals Barcelona.

Sir Alex Ferguson understandably will not countenance letting his club captain go in the forthcoming January transfer window.

But, remarkably, Ferguson will consider selling Vidic next summer if his old friend Mourinho comes up with enough money to enable United to buy a replacement.

Ferguson is no longer convinced that Vidic is 100 per cent committed to life at United and has been less than impressed with the Serb's efforts so far this season.

Ferguson had similar doubts two years ago but Vidic managed to allay them and signed a new contract early last season.

That deal will have only two years left at the end of the season which, from one point of view, would make it the perfect time to sell.