Gill says Manchester United funds are available
Manchester United chief executive David Gill says the money is there if Sir Alex Ferguson wants to bring a new player to the club.
Ferguson has failed to make a big money signing over the last two seasons since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club. Fans and pundits have been expecting a big name replacement ever since but no deal has ever materialised.
It's going to be more difficult than ever for Manchester United to win back their Premier League crown and make a solid impression in Europe. A big name player would only help their chances but Ferguson looks content with what he has.
It's important to consider what Ferguson is trying to achieve within the team at the moment to determine how successful the club is going to be over the coming season. However, this does not ignore the fact that there are one or two positions in the United side where a strong player would help enormously.
Transition
Ferguson's current side is going through a transitional phase and this is nothing new. Ferguson has developed many different sides during his time as United boss and it has sometimes taken two or three years for the fruits to ripen.
The club has some very solid, young and exciting players. There is no one in the game better suited to judge a player and recognise all of the things that will make him a star within one or two seasons.
You have to keep in mind the debt that hangs over the club. There may well be money available but it is not going to be close to the budget of other sides because of the debt the current owners of the club have. Therefore you could say the squad Ferguson has managed to keep together is remarkable.
Gill said: "The money is there if we believe there is a player who can improve what we believe is a very good squad. The team has been together for a number of years and done very well. In order to improve it a player has to be of a very high quality. We are looking 365 days a year — it doesn't just start when the transfer window opens."
Areas
There are two main areas in the United side where a big name would come in and do the club a world of good. A big striker up front would take a great deal of pressure off of Wayne Rooney despite the fact that Rooney insists he is fine in his role as the main striker of the club.
A quality wide player would also give the team an added edge. This is something that they have really lacked since Ronaldo left the club last summer and it is something that the side are going to have to deal with sooner or later because Nani is still not good enough to carry the team.
Gill added: "We are looking at it. We studied a lot of players at the World Cup but we knew about a lot of them before that. Over all I think Sir Alex is very comfortable with the squad composition. That's not to say something won't happen, but I think it is a 'might', not a 'will'."
Advice
United are always worth a punt in any competition but this season may come too soon for the current side. Chelsea are still very strong and will remain the favourites to win the Premier League but the Champions League showed that most sides in Europe possess the quality to beat each other.
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