Manchester United chief executive David Gill says the English
champions may still add to their squad - despite Sir Alex Ferguson claiming
his spending is done.
United leave today for a two-week tour of the Far East, and Gill
said: "I will start each day with the usual emails and
correspondence - and I'm sure there will be some player activity
going on while we are over there."
Fergie has signed Michael Owen,
Antonio Valencia and
Gabriel Obertan, spending less than £20million.
This has left the club with a significant surplus of cash. So
far this summer, they have received £80m upfront for
Cristiano Ronaldo, shedding his wage liability at the
same time, and have also sold
Lee Martin and
Fraizer Campbell. With an existing annual transfer
budget purported to be around the £25m mark, Ferguson ought to be
in a position to strengthen at will a team shorn of its best player
and comprehensively beaten in the Champions League final.
However United's owners, the Glazer family, incurred
astronomical debt in completing their takeover of the club, and may
prefer to use the cash to improve their financial position. Earlier
this summer, they caused consternation amongst fans of the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers American Football franchise by not spending all of
the money permitted to them under the draft system, and may impose
similar strictures upon United.