SOCCER: Manchester United are ready to let Roy Keane leave in the summer rather than break the bank to try and persuade the influential Irishman to stay.

While Keane stunned Old Trafford officials last night with the timing of the announcement that he expected this season to be his last at the club, it is not a development United's hierarchy were completely unprepared for.

During the summer, high-level discussions took place over the likelihood of Keane's contract being extended beyond 2006.

A final decision will not be made without further consultation between chief executive David Gill and Alex Ferguson.

And with the Glazer family pledging not to take part in any negotiations, it appears the Irishman is correct in his assertion that no offer will be forthcoming until much later in the season.

Even before the latest twist, one senior United source confided the possibility of Keane finishing his playing career away from Old Trafford was not one the club were totally against, in the belief they could eventually entice him back with a job on the coaching staff.

Keane's statement of intent is unlikely to prompt any immediate discussion with the player's trusted advisor Michael Kennedy even though Ferguson's assistant Carlos Queiroz admits the player is irreplaceable.

"You don't replace great players like Pele, Maradona, Eusebio or Roy Keane," said Queiroz. "You just create new players in new teams. That is why the game moves forward."

Instead, it seems certain Keane will be free to open negotiations with any interested parties outside England in January, putting Celtic in pole position to land the influential midfielder, who has hinted at his desire to end his playing days at Parkhead.

Hoops boss Gordon Strachan refused to comment on the prospect of Keane moving into the Scottish Premier League, claiming: "I have never spoken about anybody else at any other club and I am not going to change that now."

However, Celtic have already indicated they would be interested in handing Keane a two-year deal next summer, when the player would be available for free on a Bosman transfer.

The only possible stumbling block is the cash on offer in Glasgow. Keane knows he cannot expect to pocket anywhere near the estimated £90,000 a week he currently picks up at United. The former Celtic favourite Henrik Larsson was on only half that amount when he left for Barcelona two years ago.

The prospect of fulfilling a lifetime's ambition as well as broadening his experience before he begins his managerial career may soften the blow, and Keane also knows once he leaves United, there are few clubs in the Premiership who could match what Celtic could offer in terms of finance, support base and prestige.

There has also been interest from elsewhere in the Premiership even though, in his MUTV interview last night, he claimed he would not be able to stomach entering the away dressing-room at Old Trafford.

A move to the Continent has not been ruled out either, although having spurned offers from Bayern Munich and Juventus earlier in his career, he is not expected to seek such a dramatic change of scenery as his playing days draw to a close.

Keane could eventually be persuaded to stay on, although past experience suggests he is not a man to change his mind.

"He has obviously been thinking a great deal about it and feels it is the right decision," said Blackburn manager and former United hero Mark Hughes.