Alex Ferguson denies approach for Wesley Sneijder

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said that the club has "no real interest" in Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder.

There had been numerous newspaper reports in the past week claiming that the 27-year-old playmaker was on the verge of a £35m move to Old Trafford.

Inter technical director Marco Branca insisted on Wednesday that the Milanese club had not received any bids for the Dutch international, saying: "No, there's not been an official offer and there has never been the intention to listen to them.

"There are no updates. He is not for sale."

Sneijder had been touted as a replacement for long-serving Paul Scholes, who retired at the end of last season.

"Paul was a player of a lifetime. In his 20 years at the club, it is hard to pick out a bad game. He was such a consistent player for us," Ferguson said.

"I don't think we will find another Paul Scholes. But hopefully we can replace him. Maybe we will find a different type of player."

United have already spent around £53m this summer, signing David de Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones.