By Graeme Yorke
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Manchester United are on red alert after Wesley Sneijder was told he won't be playing for Inter Milan again until he accepts a cut to his 200,000 a week wages.
The Dutch midfielder has refused to accept a contract with reduced wages at Inter and club director Marco Branca has said he will not be involved in the Italian giants' plans until he accepts the terms of a less extravagant wage package.
Sneijder, who led Jose Mourinho's Inter team to the league, Champions League and domestic cup titles in 2010, was courted by a number of clubs, including United, in summer, but Sir Alex Ferguson put the brakes on any deal due to the high wages he would demand.
On the move? Wesley Sneijder has been told he will not play for Inter Milan until he takes a pay cut
But it now appears the Dutchman could also be shipped out in the January transfer window if a resolution is not reached quickly.
The 28-year-old signed a five-year 200,000 a week deal in 2010, but Inter have made efforts to scale back their spending, which resulted in the sale of goalkeeper Julio Cesar to QPR this summer.
Branca issued a statement about Sneijder, who has been left out of the squad to face Parma this evening, on the club website.
Branca said: 'We've been negotiating with him for a while and we need to modify his contract.
'We want to give him time to think about it and so we won't be using him for the time being.'
Head coach Andrea Stramaccioni has distanced himself from the quarrel.
You'll do: Alex Ferguson signed Shinji Kagawa instead
Stramaccioni, whose third-placed side must get a result without Sneijder to keep pace with league leaders Juventus, said: 'Obviously, I hope the situation can be resolved as soon as possible.
'I speak daily with both Wesley, and with the president. So I know the situation.'
'I think the issue is simpler than people may think. Over the summer the club decided to have some very clear guidelines that we wanted to use throughout the transfer campaign.
'I have enormous respect for Wesley as a player and a man, but right now my position as the coach is not to select him for the good of the club.
'Having said that, I am going to Parma with great players at my disposal.'
Sneijder is set to earn 20million over the next two seasons until 2015 on his current deal, but Inter want him to agree to a deal through to 2017 for 30million.
Extravagant: Sneijder signed a five-year 200,000 a week deal in 2010
The chickens are gradually coming home to roost for football clubs who pay these ridiculously high wages.It's great for the footballers who get it now, but it cannot be sustained indefinitely. Footballers will eventually have to accept that even 50K a week is a great wage and more than twice what the average man earns in two years.
- Trevor , Colchester, 26/11/2012 18:41
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