(continued)
Up front, despite the warning that the spending is over, there are
far more rumours that Ferguson will be bringing in a new striker
and getting rid of one.
The Scot is widely believed to have finally lost patience with
Louis Saha. The Frenchmans fitness has always been a concern, but
many reports seem to suggest that it has been his attitude that has
most recently irked Ferguson.
The former Fulham man finally seemed to have found his feet at the
club last season, following the loss of Ruud van Nistelrooy, but by
the season's end, he was a peripheral figure again, failing to
appear in several games that he had been earmarked for, and the
number 9 shirt at the club looks set to be passed on before
August.
Swap deals involving Saha and either Newcastles Michael Owen and
Dimitar Berbatov of Spurs have been mooted, but both are likely to
stay at their clubs (the latter has signed a new long-term
deal).
Other forwards linked with the club include Berbatovs Spurs
team-mate Jermain Defoe, Boltons Nicolas Anelka and Javier Saviola
of Barcelona, though perhaps the most likely deal is a swoop for
Ajax hit-man Klaus Jan Huntelaar.
This is the type of forward United need, a prolific hit-man that
Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney can work off, while he bags plenty of
goals himself.
His 33 goals in the 2005/06 Eredivisie campaign were followed up by
another 21 last year and more crucially he hit nine goals in nine
games in the Champions League and Uefa Cup. He would be an ideal
replacement for Saha and a good choice by United, even if the
Frenchman stays put.
Alan Smith and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will remain as options for
Ferguson, the latter probably for the final season, but these
players offer different sorts of options and will be strong squad
members, as may be Guiseppe Rossi, though he has been linked with a
loan switch to FC Porto as part of the Nani deal.
At the back, while all four of Uniteds first-choice defenders were
named in the PFA Premiership team of the season last year, there
were hiccups and there is room for improvement, especially in the
back-up ranks which needed heavy exploitation and did not always
convince towards the latter end of the campaign just gone.
Neville, Evra, Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were all excellent in
2006/07, something that seems to have cost the popular Gabriel
Heinze his position at the club. The hard-man Argentine has lost
his place as first-choice left-back to Evra and is expected to move
to Real Madrid this summer in a switch that will upset many United
fans as the player is a firm favourite.
Less hard to take will be the likely departure of Mikael Silvestre.
A good servant to the club since 1999, last seasons limited
appearances and poor showings when he did play suggest that the
Frenchmans United days are numbered. And at just under 30, he is
still young enough to forge a decent career at a different
club.
The dislocated shoulder the player suffered in the Champions League
game against Lille will prove an ignominious end if he is to move
on, but with Uniteds back-up options in defence questionable,
there was little last season to suggest that Silvestre is at the
stage of his career where he can be a help to that.
Wes Brown too may have to finally move on. A change of scene as
much as anything else would seem to be ideal for a player who has
always offered more promise than substance and with Spurs and
Sunderland both believed to have some interest, Brown at 27
would best be advised to move on.
It would be sad for some United fans to see the back of this
player, who performed so well as a 19-year-old unknown in the
treble season of 1998/99, but whose career has been plagued by
injury and fluctuating form ever since. He did not look comfortable
towards the end of last season, and as sad as United fans may be to
see him go, they could end up sadder seeing him in the United
team-sheet every week.
If Heinze, Silvestre and Brown all go then there will obviously be
the need to bring in several back line back-ups. The sales of
Heinze, Brown, Silvestre, Richardson and maybe Saha would also
bring in some money in the midst of the heavy budget pressure
already applied and would be useful in bringing in the type of
defender who can act as decent back up, should the likes of
Neville, Ferdinand or Vidic (who will improve further) be
injured.
Manchester Citys Micah Richards apart, there has been little to no
speculation linking United with any new defenders so far in the
summer.It is questionable whether or not big money would be well
spent on Richards and United could do with looking around.
Ferguson has shown a decent eye for a defender in recent years,
bringing in Heinze, Evra and Vidic, and it would be a surprise if
he has not been scouting for some more stoppers, especially with
Heinze, in particular, so likely to leave.
One other surprising transfer link involving United this summer was
that they were keen on Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Uniteds last line of defence is currently the vastly experienced
Edwin van der Sar and while the Dutchman made a mistake or two
towards the end of the season, he did have a super year all told
and his penalty save from Darius Vassell in the Manchester Derby
was key in the title win.
Ben Foster is back from Watford to challenge strongly for the
number 1 spot, but with a knee operation ruling him out for several
months, van der Sar will remain first choice. No newbies are likely
to come in, though Fosters injury maybe does give Kuszczak a
little more time to show what he can do, after he did little to
impress in his first season.
United have a strong squad, but Scholes and Giggs are getting old
and injuries can always ruin the most promising of seasons.
Chelsea have already signed three players of their own this season,
albeit that the additions of Alex, Steven Sidwell and Claudio
Pizarro have cost 50p between them, and given the fact that they
are a club not without their means, they are sure to not let
Uniteds outlay on Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson go unchallenged
because Chelsea will very much want the title back.
Arsenal have plenty of talented players both experienced and not
so, but for the last couple of years the sum of their parts has
been less than it might have been and they will need to strengthen
in each third of the pitch, but cannot be discounted.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have plenty of money to spend and a fine
manager in Rafa Benitez who knows what is required to win things.
Whether or not he can finally transform the Reds into title
challengers will surely depend on his outlay on strikers the
Achilles heel of the club for several years now, but the Reds
title drought cant go on forever.
United will need to be wary of all these things, as well as the
hiding they got in the San Siro in their Champions League
semi-final, second leg. That may give them a better idea of when
and when not to put the wallet away for the summer.
