Sir Alex Has "Substantial" Funds for Big Name Players

The Manchester United owners may be supremely unpopular at Old Trafford, with the majority of United fans wanting the American family to leave as soon as possible, but they have apparently given the go ahead to a big summer of signings for Sir Alex Ferguson.

Reports suggest that the clubs bank account will rise to £169 million due to huge profits this season thanks to massive sponsorship deals. This will be added to the £80 million from the Ronaldo sale which is largely still unspent, and it adds to a very healthy transfer fund for Sir Alex to do with it what he pleases. One insider said: "What Sir Alex wants, Sir Alex will get."

Of course, the transfer policy will remain the same; young players with big potential and a decent resale value is what the Glazers and Ferguson have agreed on, with only one player in the past 14 years having been over 27 and cost more than £3.2 million - Dimitar Berbatov.

And with United set to have raked in a whopping £50 million from their Champions League journey if they beat Barcelona on Saturday, it is understandable that the Glazers are said to be "relaxed" about the United manager bringing in at least one marquee name to the squad.

After the sale of Ronaldo and the departure of Tevez in quick succession, doubts were raised, if they weren't already about the Glazers long term ambition with United. Wayne Rooney needed the persuasion of a mega money weekly contract renewal to convince him of that ambition, and he must have been told about the funding Sir Alex had when they had those crunch meetings about his future.

The United chief executive has said again and again when questioned that Sir Alex has money at his disposal, doing his utmost to defend the Glazer ownership and handling of the club. This summer may be the summer in which these claims are supported with the showing of cash and the purchasing of players who will be brought in to help United to further success.

The last time United spent substantially was back in 2007 when Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargrevaes were brought in for around £17 million each. Injuries have been a big downer on Hargreaves and Andersons success, with Hargreaves recently released, but Anderson and Nani have begun to show what they are capable of - especially the latter.

United have already confirmed the purchase of Athletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea as replacement for Edwin van der Sar, for a reported fee of £18-20 million. Rumours circulating about other players include interest in Aston Villa's Ashley Young, Arsenal's Samir Nasri, Tottenham's Luka Modric and Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder.

I hear that a deal for Ashley Young is close, while the situation with Arsenal's Nasri is that due to his close expiring contract, his agent has leaked United "interest" to the media in the hope that Arsenal will act by offering Nasri and new, improved contract. Modric and Sneijder would indeed be marquee signings, but would perhaps cost too much.

Despite the big money signings being rumoured, Sir Alex could always look to his youth side, and with a few exciting young talents coming through may decide to slowly begin to integrate them more in the team, much like he did with the class of 1992.

Nevertheless, the funds are there for Sir Alex to spend, and whether he raids Arsenal for Nasri, tests Inter Milans resolve for Sneijder, or tempts Luka Modric with Champions League football is down to him. United fans should confidently leave it all in his very capable hands.

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"Secret Talks" over Man United takeover - Glazers Deny

"Secret talks" were apparently held between a Qatari consortium whom we can safely presume are incredibly rich and the vastly unpopular Glazer family and current owners of Manchester United over a possible takeover. "Great!" Manchester United fans would think, but alas, the Glazers have once again denied that any talks were held, and reiterated that the club is not for sale whilst reportedly waiting for around £2 billion for Manchester United, not the £1.5 billion that has seemingly been tabled.

The following is from The Guardian:

"A Qatari consortium is reported to have offered £1.5bn to buy Manchester United from its current owners, the Glazer brothers, after holding secret talks.

But the club yesterday denied that there has been any approach and reiterated that Manchester United is not for sale.

It is understood, however, that an approach from Qatar Holding – an investment group controlled by the Qatari royal family – took place shortly after the Arab state had secured the right to stage the 2022 World Cup finals.

Discussions are said to have foundered because of the asking price. The Glazers value the club at close to £2bn, which is more than the Qatar group, which recently agreed a record £125m shirt deal with Barcelona, was initially prepared to pay.

The Glazers paid £800m for the club in 2005, the majority of which was provided by loans secured against the club's assets. The borrowings are now believed to stand at around £530m.

Football sources believe Qatar, keen to raise its profile still further in the game, will return with a higher offer."

The Glazer family's reluctance to sell Manchester United, a club in masses of debt has been incredibly frustrating for Red Devils fans, most of whom would welcome a takeover from a ridiculously rich group. This, a group who could inject masses of money into the club for transfers as well as clearing all of the debt. There will be more waiting for a takeover it therefore seems, as the Glazers keep their fingers tightly around one of the most successful football clubs in the world and wait for a bid of at least £2 billion. Will anyone or any group rummage through their pockets for an amount so vast? Lets hope so.

Qatar Holdings in £1.5 Billion Manchester United Takeover

The news is that Manchester United are close to being taken over by Qatar Holdings in a massive deal worth £1.5 billion.

Qatar Holdings’ chairman, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, who is currently Qatar’s prime minister, is said to be keen on the idea of taking over one of the biggest clubs in he world in Manchester United after Qatar's controversial 2022 World Cup bid win.

This is obviously good news for Manchester United fans who have done their utmost to get rid of the current American owners, the Glazer family. The Green and Gold campaign and the constant protests against the Americans due to the amount of debt that they have put the club in have had little effect. But now that a super rich company are waving £1.5 billion in front of the faces of the much hated owners, this spell of hostility may be about end.

However, there is one thing that the Glazer's have given Manchester United which Sir Alex Ferguson will be thanking them for. That is the freedom to run the team as he wants. Throughout the Americans ownership, they have stayed out of the way of Ferguson - letting him manage the team with freedom that other managers of clubs could only dream of. Ferguson's position at the club was always going to be safe, but at clubs like Chelsea, when managers are being sacked every other season, the stability that they have allowed at the club on the pitch has probably been the only good thing that can be squeezed out of their ownership period.

The impression Ferguson gives is that if he wants to buy a player, he can. He will be provided with the money which David Gill claims the club have to spend on players. The difference if the new owners arrive is that money will be guaranteed and the club will no longer be burdened with debt. Some pretty good plus points there, it has to be said.

If the prospective new owners are to come in, to be popular with fans, they must listen to them, and work with them to improve the club situation. The money will obviously be there for Ferguson and any other future managers to spend, so recruiting new players won't be a problem, but they must keep an interest in the football as well, and not be swayed into making knee-jerk decisions as was made by the new Blackburn owners. Manchester United must stay as the proud, successful club that it has been in football, and guaranteed stability is key to that.