Paris play down Barthez move

Paris St Germain president Francis Graille played down reports the French club would make a bid for Manchester United's out-of-favour French keeper Fabien Barthez.

"It is true that Barthez would like to come back and play in France but there has not been any contact between him, PSG or Manchester United," Graille said Tuesday.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill said before flying out from England to Stuttgart for a Champions League match that no bid had been made for Barthez.

Paris first-choice Lionel Letizi might be out of action for several months with a calf muscle tear and Graille told the French media earlier Barthez was a possible replacement.

"When we were negotiating with Manchester over Ronaldinho they proposed Barthez in part-exchange. We weren't interested in that package but if Lionel's injury is serious we will have to look again," Graille told sports daily l'Equipe.

"We've not made a serious approach yet but it would be great to have a world champion in Paris especially as we have already lost one," he said in reference to the Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldinho who finally settled for Barcelona after agonising for months over a move to United.

Barthez, France's 1998 World Cup goalkeeper, has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford since manager Alex Ferguson signed American keeper Tim Howard in the summer.