Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed the signing to Manchester United of the French international defender Patrice Evra from AS Monaco, providing the 24-year-old left-back passes a medical due to take place on Monday.

The United manager wants Patrice Evra to join the team immediately, and has already pencilled in the French defender for his Manchester United debut in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final away to Blackburn Rovers.

Ferguson has been monitoring Evra's progress ever since Argentina international left back Gabriel Heinze ruptured his cruciate ligaments in September, rukling himself out for the rest of the season.

Although there was also interest from Inter Milan, Manchester United’s chief executive David Gill flew in to Monaco on Thursday night to agree a fee, estimated to be worth around £5million.

“I have been looking at Patrice for quite a while," said Ferguson. "He has improved each year since he has been with Monaco. He is very quick, naturally left-footed and a good footballer.”

“We cut the squad numbers quite dramatically at the start of the season, and then with Gabriel Heinze being out for a year, and Quinton Fortune missing as well, we needed to bring in a left-sided player.”

“Patrice has only had a couple of weeks off, so he is ready to play almost immediately and the registration deadline for the Blackburn game is not until Tuesday.”

Providing the deal goes through, subject to the medical, it will take Ferguson's spending to a total of £12million, following the earlier purchase of Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic.

Ferguson wouldn’t confirm, or deny news of any further new arrivals, although Real Madrid’s Thomas Gravesen has been mentioned, but denied flatly the reinforcement of his defence would signal the end of Mikael Silvestre's seven-year Old Trafford career.

“It doesn't mean that at all,” said Ferguson when asked if Silvestre would now be on his way.

“We are trying to bring players in because we didn't have the squad to cover all eventualities.”

Although Evra can also be used in midfield, his initial job will be to help shore up United's problematic left-side of defence, with him covering for fellow new signing Nemanja Vidic in that position, until he gets his fitness up to the required levels.

While some may question the logic of this week's double move on Ferguson's part, it was yet again a subject the United manager was not prepared to discuss, instead preferring to see the signings as giving him a wider choice of players.

“We have just lacked options,” he said. ‘These two lads are a good age, they have the right credentials and it is good to bring players in who are still developing.”

“We will have a better idea about when Nemanja will play once he starts football training, which will be some time next week. It is difficult to be precise about it, we will just have to see how he comes through.”

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