A BARGAIN for deep pockets here, because at £650,000 this penthouse pad in Manchester isn't exactly cheap – but bear with me.

More than 4,000sq ft over two floors with four bedrooms, a wide terrace with views over Castlefield and a garage that will take two cars.



It’s the former home of maverick Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez (remember him? Bald head, kissed the tops of colleague’s heads and dated supermodel Lynda Evangelista who apparently left him because of the Manchester weather).

He is said to have paid £1m for two duplexes in the Deansgate Quay building and then spent another £100,000 having them knocked together to form one giant apartment.

It is colossal. More than 4,000sq ft over two floors with four bedrooms, a wide terrace with views over Castlefield and a garage that will take two cars.

Despite leaving Old Trafford at the end of 2003 after an entertaining couple of years he still apparently owns the apartment but now wants to sell and is prepared to take roughly half of what it cost him.

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It may be a penthouse but it’s not looking exactly plush and wealthy bargain hunters would probably be wanting to replace the 10 year old kitchen and make the whole place look more city swank and a bit less student flat share.

Jennie Platt from ManCity Lettings picked up the listing and says it just needs a bit of TLC. She said: “It is one of the biggest apartments in Manchester and at £650,000 it works out at about £160 per sq ft which is a bargain.

“It has been rented out and needs some work to bring it up to the latest specification but the location is great and the potential is there.”

If you have deep pockets ring Jennie on 0161 834 8340 

You can follow @jillburdett here.

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*The two bed flats at Wood Court in Sale highlighted last week were withdrawn from the Countrywide Auction at the last minute by the clients. Which meant phone calls to all 100 people who had registered interest in buying one...”We are not being given much information,” said the frustrated agent at Bridgfords in Sale.