Sir Alex Ferguson sets sights on De Gea, Sneijder & Ashley Young this summer as re-building work at Manchester United begins

Wesley Sneijder – Inter (Getty Images)

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ANALYSIS
By Greg Stobart | Northern Correspondent

The last month for Manchester United has confirmed Sir Alex Ferguson‘s side as the best team in England but at the same time has revealed how much they must improve if they are to conquer Europe.

Knocking Liverpool off their perch to win a 19th top flight title was one thing, but challenging the might of Barcelona, one of the best sides in history, is an entirely different proposition.

Ferguson, at 69, still seemed to have as much drive as ever after Saturday night’s 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final at Wembley. Retirement was the furthest thing from the Scot’s mind as he talked of using the “hiding” as a “stepping stone” for United to push on next season.

“We want to improve next season,” he added. “It’s not going to be easy but that’s the challenge, we shouldn’t be afraid of that.”

With the retirement of Gary Neville and Edwin van der Sar – possibly to be followed by Paul Scholes – and the creaking bones of Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand, United are ready to usher in a new era by making at least three high profile, big money signings in the transfer window.

After all, there are obvious weaknesses in this United team despite their Premier League triumph, not least the midfield that Barcelona were able to taunt, tease and dominate for most of the 90 minutes at Wembley.

Ferguson is the master of building and re-building sides, the king of forward planning – 12 Premier League titles and two European Cups attest to that – and he has told people within Old Trafford that he is building a squad that will peak in three years’ time.

SHOPPING LIST | United targets

David de Gea Atletico Madrid Goalkeeper, 20 Ashley Young Aston Villa Midfielder, 25 Luka Modric Tottenham Midfielder, 25 Wesley Sneijder Inter Midfielder, 26 Charlie Adam Blackpool Midfielder, 25 Jack Rodwell Everton Midfielder, 20

Chief executive David Gill has indicated the summer will be “busier than normal” as, together with Ferguson, he plots the club’s summer transfer ambitions. United have debts of £478 million on their books, much to the anger of most fans, but Ferguson has always publicly supported the ownership of Glazer family as they have afforded him the power to run the club like an autocrat.

For all their debt, United have a cash balance approaching £150m and Ferguson will have £50m to spend this summer, plus any funds raised from players sales, with £15m-rated Dimitar Berbatov likely to be the most notable departure. The Bulgarian suffered the ignominy of being omitted entirely from the squad to face Barcelona and, with one year remaining on his contract, a £10m offer could tempt United to sell a player who cost them £30.75m in 2008.

While last summer Ferguson lamented the lack of value in the market, he has long recognised the need for summer improvement and the club have been seriously working on summer deals for the last two months.

Goalkeeper David de Gea is expected to be the first summer arrival as a long-term replacement for Van der Sar, with his £17.5m move from Atletico Madrid to Old Trafford on course to be concluded this week.

Aston Villa winger Ashley Young is next on the list, with the Midlands club resigned to losing their star man as his contract expires next summer. Ferguson tried to sign the 25-year-old in January and is competing with arch-rivals Liverpool to complete a £15m deal.

Signing Young would most probably signal the end of United’s interest in £30m-rated Udinese flyer Alexis Sanchez.

Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric and Inter’s Wesley Sneijder – both rated at more than £30m – are the two top targets to add creativity to the United midfield, with Charlie Adam also in contention should the Red Devils be priced out of a move for both players.

Ferguson is also eager to attract the best young British players to Old Trafford, with Everton midfield Jack Rodwell, 20, a long-term target and Southampton starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain another on the club’s radar.

In reality, there is no knowing what it could take to compete on the same level as Barcelona any time soon, but the building for United starts now. That would have happened regardless of the outcome of the Champions League final.

Ferguson will turn 70 at the end of the year but, after three Champions League finals in the last four years, has as much drive as ever to make United the dominant force both domestically and in Europe.

The most expensive summer in his 25 years at Old Trafford could go some way to reaching that goal.

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