TAIBI LINKED WITH UNLIKELY UNITED RETURN

Taibi signed for the English Champions at the start of the 1999-2000 season for a fee in excess of £4 million but he managed just four disastrous appearances for The Red Devils before he quickly moved on to his present club Reggina.

The 31-year-old has been in inspirational form for Reggina this season and even popped up with a last minute equaliser recently to become only the second keeper to score from open play in Serie A.

United and a string of top Italian sides, including Fiorentina and Udinese, are all reported by the Corriere dello Sport to be interested in Taibi but the giant keeper will take some persuading to leave Reggina where he has built up a fantastic rapport with the club's fans.

This is a somewhat different relationship to the one he shared with United fans who best remember Taibi for the errors he made on his debut at Anfield, missing a cross to gift Liverpool a goal, and, a few days later against Southampton, when allowed a tame shot to pass through his legs into the goal.