Manchester United were last night preparing a fresh raid for Rio Ferdinand as the Leeds defender headed for showdown talks with Peter Ridsdale.

Having had a £20m offer for Ferdinand rejected this summer, United are waiting on the outcome of today's meeting between the player and the Leeds chairman before making another bid.

United are expected to offer Leeds, one of their most bitter rivals, around £25m for Ferdinand - who cost the Elland Road club £18m when he joined from West Ham in November 2000.

But they were holding fire while they waited for £35m-rated Ferdinand to talk face-to-face with Ridsdale for the first time since he confirmed he wanted to leave Leeds.

Ferdinand's agent Pinas Zahavi said last night: "I understand that Manchester United have already approached Leeds again, and that's probably happened today."

Ridsdale indicated for the first time last night that he was resigned to losing the coveted England international, who had a transfer request turned down yesterday.

Having previously insisted that 23-year-old Ferdinand - who begins pre-season training at Leeds today - was not for sale, Ridsdale admitted: "We are a public company, I am merely an employee and I have a duty to shareholders to maximise the value of our assets.

"If we receive any reasonable offers for any of our players, including Rio, we will consider it and debate it. But that is not the position at the moment.

"He has asked to be put on the transfer list at a time when there has not been an acceptable offer and that has been rejected."

Ridsdale, for all his bluster, will have no choice but to make Ferdinand available for transfer if - as expected - he demands to leave when they meet at Leeds' Thorp Arch training complex today.

His club are £77m in debt and a source at Leeds plc confirmed last night that Schroders, the investment giants who are the major shareholders in the club's parent company, would not stand in the way of a sale.

Ferdinand, who would probably be allowed to leave Leeds for around £30m, said: "Leeds took a huge risk on me and I will never forget that.

"For the past three days I have been torn apart. I love Leeds and the people of Leeds."

Zahavi added: "If Leeds say no, then Rio will stay. He is a loyal soldier. But he would be very happy to join Manchester United.

"He wants to play at a bigger and better club. He wants to play in the Champions League.

"Going to the World Cup has given him the appetite to participate in a very high level of football. He wants to be competing for titles and medals.

"But I must reiterate that he is very happy at Leeds. He is not unhappy and he feels at home. If Leeds say he cannot go, then he will honour the contract."

Sir Alex Ferguson indulged in a spot of mind games last night by again warning that he would step up his search for another defender, primarily Italy's Alessandro Nesta, if a deal for Ferdinand is not concluded soon.

In a clear attempt to persuade Leeds' plc to approve Ferdinand's departure, the Old Trafford manager said: "Nothing seems to be happening. Leeds are saying a lot of things which we have to take on board.

"But we're running out of time, so we have to do something quickly.

"Maybe we will have to move on somewhere."

With Ferdinand's departure imminent, Leeds are eyeing Valencia's Argentinian centre-back Roberto Ayala, who would cost around £10m.

The 29-year-old's agent, Fernando Hidalgo, who jetted into England last night, said: "Leeds are interested in Ayala but it all depends on whether Ferdinand's transfer to Manchester United is completed. Ayala is one of the main candidates to replace him."

Liverpool were still locked in talks with Lee Bowyer and his advisors last night as they tried to tie up his £9m signing.

Bowyer, 25, was still holding out for more than £40,000 a week but Liverpool were unwilling to meet his demands, though it was thought a deal could be brokered soon.