Real Madrid are about to show their ugly face to Manchester United all over again with reports that they are ready to make a bid for Antonio Valencia. United’s move to sign the Wigan Athletic winger was being reported as a done deal in many newspapers but the Spanish club seem set on spoiling Sir Alex Ferguson’s summer.

United were ready to offer over £18 million for the player and were thought to be preparing a team to negotiate personal terms. However, Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, has confirmed that Real have been following Valencia and could still get in on a possible deal.

It would take Madrid’s spending up to the £160 million mark for the services of three players and would infuriate United who have just sold their best player to the club after over a year’s worth of resistance.

Whelan said: “Real Madrid have followed him [Valencia] big style all season, Manchester United have followed him big style and there is another club in Europe who have just come in for him. Real have been in contact with us since they moved for Ronaldo.”

“If you say ‘have we had a bid in black and white?’ then no, we haven’t. But fees have been spoken about. It all rests on this – who does the lad want to go to? United have a meeting with us in the next three or four days, Real Madrid have got a meeting with us in the next three or four days and the other team have also asked for a meeting.”

The news means that Ferguson’s early summer schedule could be torn apart by the club that he once descirbed as a ‘mob’. A lot does depend on what Valencia himself wants to do. He will obviously be attracted by the fame and wealth that a move to Madrid would bring but after the reports of his personal problems settling down in England, he could be unwilling to want to move again.

Wigan is geographically relatively close to Manchester and this could be the biggest factor that United have in their favour. However, it will annoy them that a transfer they had been preparing for intensely since the start of the year now looks threatened to fall apart at the very last hurdle. If Madrid say they will pay more than anything that United offer then it could be a nice long Spanish holiday for Wigan’s best player.

United should be able to have the first meeting unless this ‘other club’ is another English side. This would allow them to thrash down their terms and opinions on the deal and get their foot in the door first, preventing any moves from Madrid to be likely to happen. United can also put on the face of offering the player the closest to what he is personally likely to want; a first team spot and being a club in a country where he has already settled down. The summer transfer sagas continue and United should make sure that they don’t miss out again.

Wigan Athletic are expecting to name Roberto Martinez as their new manager tomorrow. Martinez was allowed to speak to Wigan about becoming the new manager after a £2 million fee was agreed in compensation.

Martinez has been tipped as one of the most under rated and talented manages in the country but he will have a hard time in replacing Steve Bruce who has only just left for Sunderland. Under Bruce Wigan were stabilised into one of the most consistent and solid Premier League teams in the country so Martinez will have a lot of work to do.

Martinez built up his reputation in Wales as manager of Swansea City. He took the Swans into the Championship from League One and has been consistently sparring with the best sides in the country outside of the Premier League. Although becoming a top-flight manager is a totally different proposition, it is clear that Martinez has the flair you need to be at the top.

Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, said: “Everything is almost agreed. The only reason it has not yet been signed is because I am in Majorca. I’m due back on Wednesday so the deal will be completed then.”

Wigan were very reluctant to let Bruce leave and this was obvious because of how well he had done at the club. However, the club has to be praised for going for a risky bet in Martinez and not offering the job to a more experienced former Premier League manager.

The point is that Martinez will have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for the job, the club, the players and the surrounding area. These are all virtues that Bruce displayed on a daily basis and they are all things that a new manager needs in order to come in and make an impact.

It could well turn out to be the best or the worst decision that Wigan have ever made but it is hoped it will be the best and all of the early signs are pointing that way. Although managing in the Championship is probably a lot easier than managing in the Premier League and coping with all the pressure, a lot of other Championship bosses have praised Martinez for his tactical thinking and awareness.

The Spaniard has the ability to be able to sum up a match very quickly and make sure that his side are doing all of the small things in order to turn a match around. Credit has to go to Wigan and their chairman for not sitting around but taking the initiative and having a gamble on someone who could turn out to be a great top-flight manager.

Martinez will be given the time and the space to establish himself and will have the entire summer to make all of the changes to the squad that he sees fit. Although he is a relatively small man he will also have to impose himself over the club as this is likely to be more difficult than it would be for another manager with better experience and a bigger reputation.