Champions set to spend
Manchester United, fresh from securing the league title, are
looking ahead to this summer determined to make a significant splash in the
transfer market.
Having beaten off competition from local rivals and last
year’s league winners Manchester City, Sir Alex Ferguson is now set to
integrate several new signings into the squad in a bid not only to keep City at
bay, but also to add fresh impetus to the club’s attempts to regain the
Champions League trophy they last won in 2008.
The United manager recently made it clear that the
preparations for the summer have been underway for three or four months now and
there’s a list choc-full of star names being bandied around in regards to which
players Ferguson may have his eye on.
Strikers appear a priority for the Scot and speculation
suggests his two top targets in that position are Robert Lewandowski of
Borussia Dortmund and Atlético Madrid’s Colombian forward Radamel Falcao. The
Pole Lewandowski put himself prominently on the radar of top European clubs by
banging four goals past Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first
leg, an effort that ultimately led to the Spanish side’s downfall in the tie.
Falcao, meanwhile, has long been linked with the likes of Manchester City and
Chelsea, but it’s Manchester United who’ve stolen a march on their rivals in
the pursuit for the former Porto man, according to varied sources.
Crystal Palace whizz-kid Wilfried Zaha was bagged in
January, though he was left to play for the Championship club until the end of
the season. Great hopes rest on the shoulders of the young winger/striker and
Ferguson will see the dynamic forward as a key component in the long-term future
of the club.
With ageing defender Rio Ferdinand needing a little more
time on the sidelines these days whilst managing his fitness levels, Ferguson
may also be in the market for a top-class centre-back; a commanding presence at
the back would be most welcome.
The emphasis will be on youth as Sir Alex tries to install a
team capable of growing into a real force to be reckoned with for the next 5 or 10 years. He will look to
the window as a chance to piece together a lasting legacy of trophy success
long after he’s retired.
Alongside that, the plan will include bringing through any
promising youngsters from the famed United academy that have the potential to
make it to supplement any new signings that may step through the doors of Old
Trafford this summer.
You can follow me on Twitter: @davewh1980
No comments:
Post a Comment