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Chelsea and Manchester City both expected to invest heavily in new players in a bid to bridge the gap next season, Ferguson says his side cannot afford to stand still in the transfer market.
“We’ve been doing a bit of work on that over the last three or four months, targeting who the players are that we feel could enhance us, make us better or help us maintain the level we’re at,” he told the club’s official magazine, Inside United.
“Hopefully the players we bring into the club in the next year or so will be of the quality we need. We’re competitive in the market — we’re not Chelsea or Manchester City in terms of money, but we’re competitive.”
United have been linked with some high-profile strikers in recent weeks, including Robert Lewandowski of Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao, but Ferguson believes the squad already has solid foundations.
“You have to look at the structure of the club at present, in terms of the number of first-team players we have at 23 or under,” Ferguson added.
“David De Gea, Rafael, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Alex Buttner, Nick Powell, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck (are all 23 or under). Shinji Kagawa and Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) are 24. Jonny Evans is 25 and Wayne Rooney is hitting his peak at 27.
“Older players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand may be coming towards the end of their careers, but these younger players are the foundation for the next five or six years, irrespective of the players breaking through, like Adnan Januzaj, the Belgian boy, who’s really looking very good.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has insisted that he will not be moving back to Boca Juniors this summer.
The Argentina international has never hidden his desire to move back to his beloved Boca, where he began his career.
Tevez is now settled again at City, following his public falling out with manager Roberto Mancini in late 2011. He went some months without playing for the club and when a move to Milan failed to materialise, he returned and even ended up helping them to the Premier League title last season.
This term he has established himself again under Mancini, but he has been linked with moves this summer, with speculation over a possible return to Boca, but he says that is not going to happen.
“I would die to return to Boca, my daughter asks me about that,” he told Celeste y Blanca.
“But it’s very difficult at this moment, who would pay the transfer fee? When I didn’t play, City didn’t want to transfer me to Milan for 20 million euros, so now that I am playing it’s even more difficult. I will be back (in Argentina) at the age of 33.”
Tevez also revealed that he did not expect to make Argentina’s squad for next summer’s World Cup finals.
“I don’t imagine myself playing in the World Cup,” he admitted.
“Games have been played and I have been fine, but other players are recalled. I know that I am not in the plans of the coach Alejandro Sabella.
“Some time ago you (Celeste y Blanca) asked the people if Tevez had to be in the national team and it was a 100 percent positive, now it’s 50-50. If I don’t have the chance to be with the national team, I will be a supporter from where I am.”
And Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has played down talk of a summer move away from White Hart Lane.
Bale was speaking after collecting the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year Award and Young Player of the Year awards.
The 23-year-old’s consistent performances have propelled Spurs towards a top four finish this season. But Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has admitted he fears losing the Wales international if the club fail to clinch a Champions League spot.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the teams already linked with Bale, but the player insisted his focus is on Tottenham.
Bale said: “I just take no notice, it’s all speculation, I can’t do anything about it. I just concentrate on my football and play as well as I can and do my best for the team.”
Spurs legends Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardiles joined those saluting Bale’s excellence and then spoke of their hope that he remains at White Hart Lane this summer. — AFP.
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