Leeds £35 million-rated defender Rio Ferdinand willl decide in the next 48 hours whether he will stay at Elland Road or make the short trip across the Pennines to Old Trafford.

The England defender met the new Leeds manager Terry Venables yesterday and told him he would make his decision by Tuesday, the Sun newspaper reported.

“I told Mr Venables I would give him a decision on what I wanted to do within 48 hours,” Ferdinand was quoted as saying in today’s Sun.

“There are a lot of people I want to talk to about this. I will listen to what my family and close friends have to say and then make up my mind.

“This is a huge dilemma for me, one I have to get my head round.

“Mr Venables was everything I expected him to be. I have so much respect for him as a man and a coach. He spelled out all his plans and how much he wanted me to be part of them.

“But he’s not a man who is going to get down and beg me to stay. He has too much pride for that and I wouldn’t expect it.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has exoressed an interest in signing Ferdinand but is waiting for the green light from the player before tabling a bid.