Transfer tempted Van der Sar

Edwin Van Der Sar would not have signed a new deal with Fulham if either Manchester United or Arsenal had come in with a firm bid for him, the Dutch international said yesterday.

Edwin Van Der Sar would not have signed a new deal with Fulham if either Manchester United or Arsenal had come in with a firm bid for him, the Dutch international said yesterday.

The goalkeeper's Craven Cottage contract was due to run out at the end of this season, and yesterday he ended weeks of speculation over his future by agreeing a one-year extension.

"I don't know if the teams [Arsenal or Manchester United] were talking about me; I think it was more the media that came every time with those names," said the former Ajax and Juventus player. "I think if I would have had a call from Sir Alex [Ferguson] or Arsène Wenger that they were interested in something, then probably I wouldn't have signed here, to be honest. But they haven't called, so probably that stays in the past. I am not going to wait forever and I am happy here."

The Portugal forward Luis Boa Morte recently extended his contract to 2008, after speculation over a possible move to Newcastle. Van der Sar, 34, said that move had played a part in his decision to stay.

"It probably would have been different if they had let Luis go, they would have maybe had some other thoughts," he said. "I think it is important the club shows that they want to keep their best players and I still feel we can do much more than we are achieving at the moment."

Chris Coleman's side have three wins and a draw from their last four Premiership games and are 10 points clear of relegation. Boa Morte admitted he had been tempted by Newcastle, but that Coleman convinced him to stay.

"It would have been good for me if I had gone to Newcastle because they are a big club and always in Europe," Boa Morte said. "I am 27 and would like to have a bigger challenge, but I had a good conversation with Chris Coleman and we reached an agreement."