Real and Barcelona said to be battling over van Nistelrooy

Manchester United's attempts to stamp out a wave of speculation suggesting Ruud van Nistelrooy, (front) could be on his way to Barcelona or Real Madrid have failed lamentably with newspapers insisting the Spanish clubs had increased their efforts to poach the Dutch striker

Manchester United's attempts to stamp out a wave of speculation suggesting Ruud van Nistelrooy could be on his way to Barcelona or Real Madrid have failed lamentably with newspapers insisting the Spanish clubs had increased their efforts to poach the Dutch striker.

Newspaper reports claimed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had come to a "definitive agreement" with Van Nistelrooy's representative Roger Linse, but that Barcelona had ordered their Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard and five Dutch players to talk van Nistelrooy into joining the Catalan giants.

Perez reportedly arranged a meeting with Linse after learning Barcelona president Joan Laporta had held talks with him.

Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano fuelled speculation the club are to launch a bid when he said: "A player like him would have a place in any team in the world, including Real Madrid. I ask you - who would not want to sign him?"

The 26-year-old van Nistelrooy recently signed a new four-year deal with United but has reportedly had a series of bust-ups with United manager Alex Ferguson culminating in him being dropped for last weekend's 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool.

Perez insisted last summer he would never buy David Beckham but after denying the transfer for weeks he duly paid out 25 million pounds for United's England captain.

But van Nistelrooy is not expected to link up with his former Old Trafford team-mate if he does go to Madrid.

The Daily Telegraph claimed Beckham sources said it was a "certainty" he would be playing in London next season.

However, The Daily Mail said Chelsea were prepared to buy Beckham and loan him back to Real for one more year because of a business deal involving Real, Beckham and a major mobile phone operator.