Manchester United captain Roy Keane has hailed team-mate Nicky Butt as "one of the best midfielders in England".

Butt had a transfer request granted by United manager Alex Ferguson this week after finding his path to the first team blocked by the arrivals of Liam Miller, Kleberson and Cristiano Ronaldo, plus the emergence of Darren Fletcher from the Old Trafford youth ranks.

A host of Premiership sides, including Newcastle, Birmingham and Tottenham, have already been linked with the 28-year-old England international, who is looking to safeguard his place in Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad for this summer's European Championships.

And Keane believes that whoever wins the chase for Butt's services will be acquiring an extremely talented player. "I still regard Nicky as one of the best midfielders in England," Keane told MUTV. "Apart from being a very good player, he is also excellent in the dressing-room, which is so important.

"I am sure there will be plenty of clubs interested in him and hopefully he will get the right move."

Butt has started just 11 games for United so far this season and just once in the Premiership since the beginning of November. Unlike former team-mate David Beckham, the Gorton-born player has not fallen out with manager Ferguson but feels the time has come to establish himself as a first-team regular away from his only professional club.

Keane can understand why Butt feels like he does, but advised his fellow midfielder not to quit unless the deal was absolutely right.

"Unless the right club comes in for him, I don't think he will leave," he said. "I understand where he is coming from. Nicky is 28 now and he needs to be playing, especially with the European Championships coming up.

"I don't think this is a knee-jerk reaction, he has probably been thinking about it for a while because he has not played many games this season. He has been a great servant to Manchester United and if he doesn't get the move he is looking for, I'm sure he will be happy to keeping plugging away here."

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has insisted the legal dispute between Ferguson and major shareholder John Magnier is having "no impact" on the Old Trafford outfit. United have been besieged this week by rumours that Magnier had planted half-a-dozen questioners at the club's annual general meeting in November with the aim of embarrassing Ferguson.

Magnier, who together with business partner and fellow Irish racing enthusiast JP McManus owns almost a quarter of the club, has refused to comment on the speculation.

It has also been alleged he has employed the services of respected private investigators Kroll in an effort to unearth details of Ferguson's business dealings for use in his legal dispute with the Scot over the breeding rights to record-breaking stallion Rock of Gibraltar.

Gill must maintain a delicate balancing act between Magnier and Ferguson, who is due to sign an extension to his current contract which expires in 2005.

However, Gill, who was installed in the Old Trafford hotseat following the shock departure of Peter Kenyon in September, claims the dispute has not affected the running of the club at all.

"We are not complacent but at the moment I don't think there is any impact whatsoever," he said. "Alex is conscious that he needs to keep us informed of developments and how, if at all, it may impact on his job. But, as we have said before, this is a private matter for the individuals concerned."

United are prepared to bide their time before taking another plunge for outspoken French forward Louis Saha. The 25-year-old's future at Fulham has become highly problematic after he accused the Cottagers management of acting dishonestly in not allowing him to leave for Old Trafford.

Such is the ferocity of his latest outburst in the French newspaper Le Parisien that it would not come as a huge shock if he were omitted from the squad to face his old club Newcastle at St James' Park on Monday. Not content with slating his employers, Saha has also threatened them financially by claiming he will refuse to leave until his contract has expired if he is not allowed to quit the London outfit immediately.

United have refused to become embroiled in the row since last Friday when Ferguson insisted his club had acted properly in privately lodging an official bid for his number one transfer target earlier in the month. But it is now obvious to all concerned that an offer approaching the £10 million mark would be enough to secure the 15-goal front-man. Having set their sights on a top-six spot, the fifth-placed Fulham will badly need a replacement if Saha leaves - so if they accept the inevitable it is in their interests to do the deal as quickly as possible.

In contrast, United can afford to play the waiting game. They know Saha is cup-tied, so the earliest he could possibly make his debut is on January 31st when Southampton visit Old Trafford. It gives Ferguson a fortnight before he has to move in for the kill, by which time the price should have settled to a level United are willing to reach.