Rossi leaves United for Villarreal

Spanish side Villarreal's penchant for Manchester United's unwanted strikers continued on Tuesday as they signed Italian Under-21 international Giuseppe Rossi, seen here in 2006, for 6.7million pounds.

Spanish side Villarreal's penchant for Manchester United's unwanted strikers continued on Tuesday as they signed Italian Under-21 international Giuseppe Rossi for 6.7million pounds.

The 20-year-old American-born hitman - who will sign subject to a medical - will replace another United misfit Diego Forlan at the 2006 Champions League semi-finalists - the Uruguayan having moved to Atletico Madrid for 14 million pounds.

Rossi, who scored four times in 14 senior appearances for United since he joined them aged 16, starred in a loan spell for Serie A outfit Parma last term and his nine goals in 17 matches played a large part in saving the former Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Cup winners place among the Italian elite.

Parma were keen to sign him on a permanent basis but only came up with a 5.4 million pounds bid which was trumped by Villarreal for a player that was hailed by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as 'the future of the club' last summer when he signed a new contract which would have kept him with the 'Red Devils' till 2010.

Ironically, Rossi's last start for United was in the final game of the 2005-06 campaign, when he was preferred to Ruud van Nistelrooy, a decision which effectively ended the Dutchman's Old Trafford career and saw him also depart for Spain to Real Madrid.