Manchester United are set to face Manchester City in San Diego in pre-season as part of the International Champions Cup, with Sir Alex Ferguson expected to announce the tournament in New York early next week.

The US edition of the ICC is set to be a six-club competition as United and City are proposed to be joined by a third English side, Tottenham Hotspur, along with Spain’s Real Madrid and Barcelona, plus Juventus of Italy.

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Contracts are yet to be finalised but it is thought enough paperwork will be signed off for Ferguson to make the announcement next week. As well as participating in the ICC United may play other friendlies, with opposition potentially drawn from Major League Soccer. Austin in Texas could be an alternative venue for the match between United and City, who came close to staging the first overseas Manchester derby last summer at Beijing’s Bird Nest, only for the surface in China to be ruled unplayable and it was cancelled on 25 July, the day of the fixture.

United are understood to be basing themselves at UCLA in Westwood as the Los Angeles area is a favourite of José Mourinho. The Portuguese has previously taken Chelsea, Real Madrid and Internazionale to California for summer tours.

Pep Guardiola’s City are considering a base on the east coast of the US.