As Sir Alex Ferguson and Karim Benzema were pictured sharing a brief exchange and handshake after Manchester United’s Champions League match away to Lyons on Wednesday evening, thoughts inevitably turned to the prospect of the young France striker moving to Old Trafford one day, but it is the future of one of his existing players that is of more immediate concern to the United manager.

Despite months of negotiations, Wes Brown has still to sign United’s offer of a new four-year contract, a situation that has dismayed Ferguson to such an extent that he launched a withering critique yesterday on modern players for allowing agents, in his eyes, to run their lives.

Brown wants to stay at Old Trafford, but, having established himself as an almost permanent fixture at right back over the past year after a series of injuries to Gary Neville, the 28-year-old defender does not believe that the club’s offer of around £45,000 a week reflects his position as a first-team regular and England player, particularly when there are others in the squad who play far less than he does but earn more. Mindful, too, that it would cost United a significant amount in transfer and signing-on fees, not to mention wages, to buy a replacement in the summer, when Brown’s contract expires, Paul Martin, the player’s agent, has encouraged his client to dig in his heels and hold out for the £55,000 a week he wants.

An agreement is thought to be slightly closer than it was last month, but Ferguson believes that Brown is being unduly influenced by Martin and said that other members of the first team have been encouraging the defender to sign. “Players of today live in their agents’ pockets,” the manager said. “It’s a situation which depresses me at times, it really depresses me.

“Wes has been with us since he was 12, but I don’t think that matters these days. Players’ agents live their lives for them and if you are happy to go along with that, you get the situation you have got just now. But Wes knows this and the other players have told him.”

Agents will argue that they always act in their clients’ best interests, but Ferguson levelled similar accusations at Roberto Rodriguez, Gabriel Heinze’s agent, during the former defender’s acrimonious attempts to join Liverpool last summer. While Heinze ended up joining Real Madrid, however, Ferguson is eager for Brown, who has made 33 appearances already this season, all but three of them in the starting lineup, to stay.

Newcastle United, whom the champions visit in the Barclays Premier League tomorrow evening, are monitoring the situation, while a number of other clubs are also interested in the player. “We wouldn’t have made the offer if we hadn’t had faith in him,” Ferguson said. “It’s in his hands. It’s amazing really given that he has had such a good season and has had such a good run of games while Gary has been injured.”

It was only on Tuesday that Brown was declaring how happy he is at United, although it may yet happen that the defender stays and is joined at the club in the summer by Benzema. Jean-Michel Aulas, the Lyons president, has put a £42 million price tag on the head of the 20-year-old forward and it is not hard to see why. Benzema gave Lyons the lead at the Stade de Gerland with a blistering strike before Carlos Tévez claimed a late equaliser that will ensure United start the second leg on Tuesday week as favourites to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Rio Ferdinand, who had his work cut out against Benzema during the 1-1 draw, was full of praise for a player who has already drawn favourable comparisons to Ronaldo, the Brazil striker. “Their lad Benzema can play,” the England defender said. “He is a good player and one with a big price tag on his head at the moment. There will be a lot of clubs interested in him by the end of the season.” Uefa, European football’s governing body, is awaiting reports from its delegate and LuÍs Medina Cantalejo, the referee, before deciding what action, if any, to take after some Lyons supporters shone a green laser pen in the eyes of Cristiano Ronaldo, the United winger, before and during the game.

Brown rundown

Age 28
Born Longsight, Manchester
Position Defender
Manchester United debut May 4 1998 v Leeds United in 3-0 Premier League win at Old Trafford
Manchester United appearances 285
Manchester United goals 2
England caps 15
Honours 5 Premier League titles, 1 League Cup, 2 FA Cups and 1 Champions League title