Can Sir Alex Ferguson resist the urge to dip back into the transfer market? Every night I go to bed hoping to discover in the morning that Fergie had tricked us when he announced a while back that he had completed his transfer dealings. That I’ll wake up to sports headlines similar to those trumpeted across the world on May 30 2007 announcing that Manchester United had captured two of the world’s greatest young players in Anderson (£18 million) and Nani (£17 million) from Porto and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
I checked all the sports sites to make sure I wasn’t being duped. The world was left stunned while United moved ahead in the transfer market. This deal had the world talking. Manchester United had kept it very quiet, just like when West Ham signed Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in August 2006. These were players who had been courted by the best clubs in Europe — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal, Internaziole and AC Milan.
Imagine the shock I’ll get when I rise to the news that Franck Ribery is having a medical at Old Trafford or that £40 million has been sent to Atletico Madrid for Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero’s services — that he will be flying to Manchester for a medical and then presented to the media late afternoon.
The shock on people’s faces when they hear that David Villa has been spotted at the Carrington training centre on a tour of the place. It would be one of those things you wake up to in disbelief. It would show that the Premier League still has the pulling effect because a lot of talent has spurned it this summer, either for Spain (Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Villa) or Italy (Eto’o).
It will send the message to rivals that Fergie still has it when it comes to convincing top talent where their future lies. Mostly I would like to see a jaw-dropping deal for a top, experienced midfielder who can open up any defence at free will. A creative player who can provide that spark when needed or called upon. Who do you think would qualify? Anyway, let’s wait and see if Fergie will weave his magic again. In 2007 people said he should sign a striker, he didn’t, and went on to win a league and Champions League double. Time will tell.