Football news - Ferguson doubts return of World Cup stars while Redknapp interested in Fabiano
Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has confessed that players who left for the World Cup may not be back in time for the start of the new season. The Premier League starts on 16th August and most World Cup players are expected to be back till July 28th.
Manchester United have travelled without their World Cup stars to their pre-season campaign in the USA and admitted that all of the players who travelled to South Africa may not play the first fixture, which is against Newcastle United at home. He stated that he aims to win all the pre-season friendlies, create the team chemistry and synergy needed to challenge for the Premier League. He however notified that it will be important to give everyone a chance to play and come back to England fully fit and ready to start the new season. He even claimed that the Community Shield match will not come into his agenda of being a must win, and aims to make his squad concentrate on the season. He outlined that Community Shield has always been used as a final training for the squad, year after year. He stated that this will be because of the fact that it is in the week when the players will have internationals. They will then have to come back and play the opening match which is on the very next Monday.
He added that by that time, he will have fully assessed the performance and fitness of the World Cup players, which are set to return by July 28th. He therefore does not know whether any or all of them will feature in the opening game.
In other news, Tottenham Hotspurs manager Harry Redknapp has confessed that he fancies signing Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano. He however admitted that it may be highly unlikely that the Sevilla striker will join the Spurs, owing to the high salary demands from the striker. Fabiano impressed all at the World Cup, with his tidy finishes and timely runs. Fabiano scored three times for his side, and was the mainstay in Brazil reaching the quarter finals. The club has however made no official bids for the striker, but manager Harry Redknapp admits he wants to sign the forward. He added that he liked the player, claiming that he is a top player and will be a great addition to any club. He was honest about the fact that the club has not made any contact for the Sevilla star, who might be up for sale, and admitted that he has not discussed any other potential target apart from Joe Cole.
Redknapp aims to strengthen his squad after breaking into the top four last season. He aims to stay in the top four and adding such an extraordinary player will only bolster his chances to stay in the top four. Tottenham is to taste their first Champions League campaign this season, and will want to have the depth and quality in their side to challenge the top sides in Europe.
He added that he is unaware of the striker’s current package, and might well be earning a hefty amount of money. That will prove to be the major thorn for signing him, as Tottenham cannot afford such a high paid player. On the other hand, Redknapp is hoping that Joe Cole will join the White Hart lane by putting aside the cash issues.
Cole has already attracted interest from Arsenal and high spending Manchester City, but Spurs are expected to stay in pursuit of the former Chelsea man. Redknapp has worked with Joe Cole, back in West Ham academy, where Joe Cole trained and made a name for himself. He added that he has worked with Cole and signed him when he was not even a teen. He stated that they both enjoyed a good relationship with each other and his love for the game is exactly what he is going to offer at White Hart Lane. He added that when he talked to Cole of joining Spurs, he praised the club’s future prospects. He will want nothing more than Cole joining the club but was aware of the fact that the decision was in the hands of his agents, his father and the player himself. He was conscious that if the deal was not struck due to financial reasons, he will respect it but he knew that Cole is an ambitious player and will go for other factors rather than finances, and that is exactly what the Spurs will offer him.
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