Ferdinand's career statistics

Pini Zahavi's announcement stokes further speculation over Ferdinand's future, just 48 hours after he was linked with a move to Chelsea.

The 26-year-old has two years left on his current contract at Old Trafford.

"If he doesn't sign a new deal he will leave to play abroad, which has always been one of his ambitions," Zahavi told the Guardian newspaper.

"He wants to stay at United and the idea is to extend his present deal by another three years.

"But I think he will stay providing the conditions are right."

The latest speculation comes after reports in Tuesday's newspapers Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon had met Ferdinand in a London restaurant at the weekend.

Chelsea insisted the meeting was purely by chance.

"We have made it absolutely clear to Manchester United that we have no interest in signing Rio Ferdinand," Chelsea said in a statement.

Given that the Ashley Cole enquiry is still under way, Zahavi must be crazy to allow Rio to meet Kenyon with him in public like that From Ross Have your say on 606

"There is absolutely no significance in Peter Kenyon seeing Rio in a busy London restaurant.

"This was a meeting purely by chance in a public place.

"Both the player and Manchester United are fully aware of the circumstances of the meeting and Chelsea's position on it.

"Any suggestion that there is an explanation other than a chance meeting will be met with the strongest legal action."

Chelsea claim Kenyon was fulfilling a long-standing dinner appointment with Zahavi, when the England international turned up to retrieve some paperwork from his representative.

The robust response from Stamford Bridge follows a Premier League inquiry into a meeting in a London hotel between Kenyon, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho and the Arsenal defender Ashley Cole.

It is thought the Premier League are close to announcing that an independent commission, headed by a QC, will hear the details of that meeting, which took place in January at the Royal Park Hotel.