Manchester United admit that they are trying to sign in-demand winger Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace.

But the Red Devils have cautioned that they are not in the final stages of securing the youngster’s services yet.

Palace manager Ian Holloway refuses to sell Zaha unless there is provision in the deal allowing him to stay at the Championship club.

And so while United might buy Zaha now, they accept that he won’t arrive until next season.

"He is one of the players that we are looking at,” the club’s chief executive David Gill told Sky Sports News.

"That is all I will say at the moment. I've been in football long enough to say that is not done until it's done. He's one of the players we are looking at, but it is far from done."

"Even if we did do something with Wilfried, that would be for the summer," Gill added.

The player Zaha could eventually replace in United’s starting line-up is veteran forward Ryan Giggs.

Unbelievably, Giggs turns 40-years-old later this year, and his contract with United is scheduled to end.

But while Zaha could be a readymade replacement for the greying club legend, manager Alex Ferguson says he is still trying to coax another season out of Giggs.

"He will play for another year,” Fergie said of Giggs to MUTV.

"There are no discerning signs of tiredness or weakness in his game, his quality is still there and he has fantastic balance. He has the appetite for it and he is just an incredible human being."