Loading ...Can Sir Alex Ferguson resist the urge to dip back into the transfer market? Every night I go to bed hoping to discover in the morning that Fergie had tricked us when he announced a while back that he had completed his transfer dealings. That I’ll wake up to sports headlines similar to those trumpeted across the world on May 30 2007 announcing that Manchester United had captured two of the world’s greatest young players in Anderson (£18 million) and Nani (£17 million) from Porto and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
I checked all the sports sites to make sure I wasn’t being duped. The world was left stunned while United moved ahead in the transfer market. This deal had the world talking. Manchester United had kept it very quiet, just like when West Ham signed Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in August 2006. These were players who had been courted by the best clubs in Europe — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Internaziole and AC Milan.
Imagine the shock I’ll get when I rise to the news that Franck Ribery is having a medical at Old Trafford or that £40 million has been sent to Atletico Madrid for Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero’s services — that he will be flying to Manchester for a medical and then presented to the media late afternoon.
The shock on people’s faces when they hear that David Villa has been spotted at the Carrington training centre on a tour of the place. It would be one of those things you wake up to in disbelief. It would show that the Premier League still has the pulling effect because a lot of talent has spurned it this summer, either for Spain (Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Villa) or Italy (Eto’o).
It will send the message to rivals that Fergie still has it when it comes to convincing top talent where their future lies. Mostly I would like to see a jaw-dropping deal for a top, experienced midfielder who can open up any defence at free will. A creative player who can provide that spark when needed or called upon. Who do you think would qualify? Anyway, let’s wait and see if Fergie will weave his magic again. In 2007 people said he should sign a striker, he didn’t, and went on to win a league and Champions League double. Time will tell.
@Joseph
So you are a huge Manchester United fan and Alez Ferguson fan - we get it.
International Soccer is a multi-million rand business these days, and to understand socccer you also need to understand business, in addition to diamond formations, 4-4-2 versus 4-3-3 versus 4-5-1.
Please have a CA friend look up Manchester United and Liverpool’s financials - their balance sheet and income statement, plus cash-flow.
Look particularly at the liabilities side of the balance sheet.
Withour a serious injection of equity, there is no way that SAF can afford to make big money signings (35 mill plus).
His best bet is to find relatively cheap hidden gems, as he has done very successfully in the past (Ronaldo being a case in point).
he’s also bought a few expensive duds - forlan and hargreaves come to mind.
Nani and Anderson two of the world’s greatest young players? get real - they have both yet to prove themselves - like hundreds of other youngsters, they are exciting with great POTENTIAL.
Neither of them would get into Chelsea, Liverpool or Man City’s starting line-up.
Let’s talk again at the end of the season when Man U finsih 3rd or 4th in the EPL (maybe even outside the top 4), and no trophies.
Good punts for the Premiership this year? The smart money must be on Chelsea, with Spurs and Man City being good long odds speculative bets.
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