Money to spend: Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned his rivals that he has a
£60million transfer fund at his disposal ... and he’s willing to
spend it.
The Manchester United boss went on the defensive on Friday after
hearing suggestions that the club - in debt to the tune of
£700million - do not have cash to fund transfers.
But despite the financial burden placed on the Barclays Premier
League champions by club owners, the Glazer family, Ferguson
claimed he can spend the remainder of the proceeds from the sale of
Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portugal winger was sold to Real Madrid for £80m
and United then spent about £20m on Antonio Valencia and Gabriel
Obertan.
Ferguson said: ‘The money’s there if I want to buy someone.
There is no question about that. The Ronaldo money? Yes, we can use
it. There is no bother. That’s a fact.’
Big deal: Sir Alex Ferguson insists he still has
money available from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real
Madrid
Ferguson prompted questions about United’s financial
situation after being irritated by false claims he was looking to
sign out-of-work Sol Campbell in January.
He added: ‘It’s been suggested we were moving for Sol Campbell
because we don’t have the money and we wanted to take somebody
cheap. I don’t know where that came from. But it was all wrong.
‘Sol has had a great career but he’s not a player we’re thinking
about. We’re having a hard time with the centre backs but, come
January, we’ll have most of them back.’
Yet Ferguson, aware that Nemanja Vidic could be enticed away by
foreign suitors, will be keeping an eye on defenders who become
available.
He added: ‘I don’t see any value in the market and that’s why I
didn’t buy anyone more in the summer. The prices we were quoted for
players were not reasonable and that’s why I didn’t do anything
more. There’s a danger this could continue but it doesn’t change my
view that we must look for value.’
Meanwhile striker Danny Welbeck, 19, has signed a new contract
that will keep him at United until 2013.
