Manchester United skipper Roy Keane will walk out of Old Trafford next year unless the club meet his massive wage demands.

The Irish international is believed to have asked for £40,000 a week to sign a new deal - a sum which would blow the club's tight wage structure apart. And, while he insists that in a perfect world he would stay at Old Trafford, Keane is prepared to face the consequences that his cash demands could bring.

"This is not blackmailing anybody. I am not making threats," Keane was reported as saying last night.

"If it's not the contract I want, I won't sign. . . But if I don't sign, I know there will be other options," he said.

The general manager of Atletico Madrid, Clemente Villaverde, insisted last night that Juninho was not for sale, despite speculation that the former Middlesbrough midfielder wanted to return to the Premiership with Aston Villa.

"We have not had any approach from Aston Villa about Juninho. A fee of £10 million is being talked about, but that is a low figure and in any case Juninho is not for sale," he said.

The Atletico Madrid president Jesus Gil was taken from his prison cell, where he has been held since last Thursday accused of embezzlement, to hospital last night suffering from a mild heart problem. Gil was said to be stable but will be kept in hospital in Malaga for one or two days.

Blackburn's French defender Sebastian Perez wants to return home because the cold weather in England is affecting his baby's health.

Perez said: "I want to return to the south of France because my family is a problem. My daughter always has the flu because she is used to the Celta Vigo have approached Manchester United with a view to taking Dutch forward Jordi Cruyff on loan to the end of the season. January 15th is the transfer deadline in Spain.

Newcastle have insisted that there is no rift between homegrown players and overseas imports, despite the claims of German midfielder Dietmar Hamann.

According to Hamann, `joke' Christmas presents given to players have exacerbated the situation. Hamann was given a copy of Mein Kampf while Italian defender Alessandro Pistone unwrapped a sheep's heart.

The supposed joke on Pistone, who called in the PFA last week after being made to train with the reserves, is that he has not got the heart for a tough game.

Tony Adams successfully completed 90 minutes - and picked up a booking - last night after seven weeks out with a back injury as Arsenal lost 2-0 to Northampton reserves.