Smith: Let Me Stay …
Sun: ALAN SMITH has told Manchester United he wants to sign a new deal and scrap for a first-team spot.
The champions have already splashed an amazing £50million on Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson this summer.
That leaves a question mark over £7m-rated Smith’s future, with Tottenham at the head of the queue of clubs waiting in the wings.
But the England striker, 26, has told United he is keen to agree another contract even though his current one still has two years to run.
As yet there has been no word back from the club over whether they are prepared to extend his current deal.
But Smith himself is in no doubt he wants to stay.
He said: “I have a contract re-negotiation coming up.
“I was due contract talks last year and we decided, the club and myself, I wouldn’t do that when I was injured because it wasn’t fair on them.
“But now I am fit and ready to commit my future. I want to stay at United.
“My agent has spoken with the club and talks should happen in the next few weeks.”
Smith will be hoping for improved terms in any new deal and insists he has not been surprised by United’s influx of new players.
He has always relished a fight during his career and is ready for another.
Smith said: “You know at Manchester United that every year they will sign world-class players. It’s an education that makes you mentally strong.
“You know players will come in and that you are not guaranteed to play any games, week-in, week-out.
“But this year I came back and played in a Champions League game against Roma and it was probably one of my best performances in a United shirt.
“But you know you are still not guaranteed a start the following Saturday, and that makes you mentally strong. That is probably how I got through my injuries.
“It’s a short career and you have to try to take every opportunity when it comes.
“That’s how I was brought up, how I’ve been since I was a kid. I will never lose that.”
His United team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to be fit for the start of the Premiership season following knee surgery.
The Norwegian striker, 34, had a cartilage operation after suffering problems in training before his country’s 4-0 win over Malta on Saturday.
Norway’s team doctor Thor Einar Andersen said: “He was operated on in Oslo. There were no complications and, in the best case, he’ll be ready when United start gearing up for a new season in five weeks.”
Solskjaer has missed much of the last three seasons with injury but returned to play a part in United’s title triumph.
