Ferdinand agrees terms on new United contract

Rio Ferdinand is understood to have provisionally agreed a new deal with Manchester United that will keep him at Old Trafford for the next five years.

Although Ferdinand still has two years remaining on his current contract, negotiations regarding an extension had been planned for the summer.

However, Ferdinand is believed to have called for talks to begin sooner rather than later, and now it is only a matter of the 29-year-old putting pen to paper.

Reports suggest the centre-back, who has been in outstanding form for United this season, will earn £120,000 per week.

Ferdinand's agent, Pini Zahavi, said: 'This new deal will take him beyond 34.

'But it won't be his last contract, and in all probability it won't be his last contract at Manchester United.

'Rio is very happy there, he wanted to stay and they wanted him to stay.

'Of course he could have gone to another big club, but he did not want to.'

Speaking to the Daily Express, Zahavi added: 'I believe he can play longer than (Paolo) Maldini - and they believe so at Manchester United as well.'

Italian legend Maldini, who will be 40 in June, has spent his entire career with AC Milan.