With £80million burning a hole in Sir Alex Ferguson's sky
rocket, TEAMtalk's Ian Watson suggests what Manchester United could
do with the cash.
With Cristiano Ronaldo destined for Spain and Carlos Tevez
packing his bags, many say the duo's exits are a sign that
Manchester United's dominance of English football has run its
course.
Some people never learn apparently. Those writing off United
have once again forgotten that in Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils
have at the helm the hungriest and most successful manager in
English football. Armed with an £80million transfer warchest, the
Scot will certainly fancy his chances of making it four-in-a-row
next term.
However having the cash is one thing, spending it properly is a
different kettle of fish.
Ronaldo's exit leaves United short of not only a winger or a
forward, but more importantly, a matchwinner. A star who can turn a
game on its head with a flash a brilliance, a player who can be
relied upon to haul the team out of trouble, which is a trick the
Portuguese star has performed many times over the past three
seasons.
The issue for Ferguson is, regardless of the size of the wedge
burning a hole in his pocket, there are very few of those type or
quality of players in the world game, and fewer still that might be
available.
The Scot has had a year to plan for Ronaldo's exit and it seems
that he believes Frank Ribery is the best candidate to fill the
number seven shirt at Old Trafford.
That makes sense. Ribery is a player who fits United style well.
The Frenchman can play anywhere across the midfield, he's direct,
dominates the one v one and he gets goals. Sadly for Ferguson, all
those attributes come at a heavy cost, with Bayern Munich rubbing
their hands at the prospect of United, Real Madrid and Barcelona
preparing for a bidding war.
The presence of the Spanish giants in the auction causes another
major problem for Ferguson, and one he perhaps hadn't accounted
for. Ribery is said to prefer a move to La Liga to join the parade
of the world's finest players so the United boss will have to be at
his most persuasive if the 26-year-old is indeed to grace the
Theatre of Dreams next season.
If Ferguson can pull off the Ribery deal, much of the £80million
received for Ronaldo would have to be deposited straight in
Bayern's bank account. But the spend cannot stop there.
Antonio Valencia is said to be a done deal but the Ecuadorian's
price tag (in the region of £16million) has raised a few eyebrows.
Ferguson obviously rates the Wigan winger very highly, though, and
with his style, versatility and age, the United boss sees
Valencia's potential as reason enough to splash the cash.
Valencia's pace will also prove crucial next season. With
Ronaldo occupying more of a central role for much of the last year,
United often lacked a cutting edge in wide areas, which I believe
goes a long way to explain their struggles in the final third last
term. Valencia appears to be a slightly cheaper equivalent of
Ashley Young, who Ferguson rates highly, and a more polished
version of Nani, who stalled badly in what was a critical campaign
for the Portuguese flyer last term.
Tevez's exit leaves a much smaller hole than Ronaldo but a hole
nonetheless. The Argentinian's desire for a new challenge means
United are now two bodies short in attack, and Ferguson knows he
needs to bring in at least one forward to supplement Dimitar
Berbatov and Wayne Rooney.
Karim Benzema has long been linked with the champions but I'm
not certain he is the right man for the job.
First of all, he won't come cheap. To get the Lyon striker, it
will mean United having to break their £30.75m transfer record for
a player whose record somewhat contradicts his lofty
reputation.
The 21-year-old finished joint second in the Ligue 1 scoring
charts last term with 17 goals in what isn't one of the strongest
leagues in Europe. There is no doubt Benzema has wonderful
potential but for that amount of money, United need a more finished
article and a player who can hit the ground running in the Premier
League.
So what are the alternatives? Ferguson will have identified
exactly what type of striker he needs, and in Berbatov and Rooney,
he has two forwards brilliant at dropping off the front and playing
deeper. What United lack, especially with Ronaldo gone, is an
out-and-out goalscorer.
He doesn't have to be tricky or cute outside the box. The United
squad is overloaded with that type of player. He does, however,
need to know how to work space in the penalty area and have the
ability to finish the chances when they come along.
Again, there aren't many around in world football that you
wouldn't have to break the bank for. Rooney looks likely to get his
chance to shine in a central role next term so whoever comes in
might have to be more content to conform to the needs of the squad
more than Tevez apparently is.
With that in mind, I believe Ferguson could do worse than look
to the North-East.
Tuncay was one of the few positives in Middlesbrough's dreadful
season and is thought of very highly within the game. The
27-year-old can finish, possesses the ability to play wide and
leaves nothing in the tank when it comes to his work rate, which
may go some way to appease the United fans who kicked up such a
ridiculous stink over Tevez's exit.
Tuncay is looking for a move away from Teesside and is available
for somewhere in the region of £5million, a figure that would
likely see United at least recoup their investment or turn a profit
in the future. The Turk is cheap, but not as cheap as another
goalscorer just a bit further up the A19.
Michael Owen has had a calamitous year and a shambolic stay at
Newcastle. But the 29-year-old gets goals.
During his time on Tyneside, the former England striker found
the net 26 times in 70 league appearances, a ratio of a goal every
two-and-a-half games. That's a not-too-shabby record for a forward
playing in a wretched team.
Owen knows his way around a crowded penalty box and that can't
be questioned. The serious doubts remain over Owen's fitness record
and his desire to rediscover his former glories.
Yes, Owen would be a gamble but what do Ferguson and United have
to lose? The former England striker has a lot to prove and if he is
as keen to prove himself as he says he is, a hungry striker at the
right side of 30, with 40 England goals and on a free transfer is
far from the footballing equivalent of going all in with a dud
hand.
It's a maverick suggestion, but Ferguson has never been afraid
to look beyond the obvious. Given his lack of other options, Owen
would surely jump at the chance of playing for United on some kind
of performance-related deal and if he can stay relatively fit, he
would get goals in a side as creative as United.
A summer shopping haul of Ribery, Valencia, Tuncay and/or Owen
would still leave United with loose change from the Ronaldo fee and
go a long way to improving United's fluency and potency in
attack.
Ribery is the main man, though, and Ferguson must do whatever it
takes to tempt the Frenchman to resist the lure of La Liga.