"The one we really want to sign will only be available in the summer," said Ferguson.

LegacyUser

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that the club expect to land their number one transfer target in the summer, not in the January transfer window.

After ruling out a move for German star Michael Ballack, Ferguson insists he has already identified the player The Red Devils need to bolster their squad and close the gap on Premiership rivals Chelsea.

Club owner Malcolm Glazer is expected to make money available for his manager, and, whilst indicating he may look to bring in a number of squad players in the winter, Ferguson says he expects the board to back him in his summer pursuit of the mystery star.

"We will probably just add a couple of players to bulk up the numbers in January, the one we really want to sign will only be available in the summer," said Ferguson.

"He's cup-tied in the Champions League and his club wouldn't sell him before summer in any case.

"But I'm confident the club will back me in the summer. Manchester United always have to buy the player they need."

After the departure of Roy Keane a defensive midfielder is believed to be high on Ferguson's list of priorities, and The Red Devils have been linked strongly with Milan star Gennaro Gattuso.

However, Lyon lynchpin Mahamadou Diarra may also be a consideration after impressing vividly for the reigning French champions.

Whilst the name of Ferguson's coveted star remains under wraps, the United boss freely admits he is in the process of creating another gifted side to grace Old Trafford.

The Scot's long term security in his current job has been the subject of some speculation in recent weeks, but the legendary manager says his enthusiasm for bringing through the next generation of United stars means he can see himself in the job for a number of seasons yet.

"The whole logic of the past couple of years has been building a new team," added Ferguson.

"Darren Fletcher is 21, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are 20, they will get better for sure. And Gerard Pique and Giuseppe Rossi will come through in the next wave.

"I'll be around next season and I've absolutely no idea when the end will come for me because I said to the club a couple of years ago, let's not talk about retirement because then it becomes a problem. It's not on the agenda.

"Right now I feel great, terrific. Obviously I'm not going to be here in 10 years, I don't think I'll be here in four years, but I'm making plans for next season all right."

Article taken from http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=328955&CPID=8&clid=&lid=3&title=Fergie+ready+for+summer+raid

Very interesting. I always said ALL along why the **** would we want to sign Ballack when he is just an in-form Paul Scholes and will not do a job for us where we need him i.e. defensive midfield. To be honest, i still say we should have gone for Davids when he left Barcelona. So who is this mystery player? Could it be Gattuso?

Nunu

cheesedude wrote:

Article taken from http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=328955&CPID=8&clid=&lid=3&title=Fergie+ready+for+summer+raid

Very interesting. I always said ALL along why the **** would we want to sign Ballack when he is just an in-form Paul Scholes and will not do a job for us where we need him i.e. defensive midfield. To be honest, i still say we should have gone for Davids when he left Barcelona.

An 'in form Paul Scholes' is one of the best players on the planet, so if that's what Ballack is I'll take him thank you very much. I'm of the opinion that what needs addressing is the lack of guile in midfield going forward not backwards and 4 blanks in 5 Champions League outings supports this. This widespread hyped up need for a defensive midfielder is puzzling. Before Keane reverted to that position 2 seasons ago Utd never had one and it didn't seem to affect the trophy haul.

SpAcEd OuT

its gattuso must likely

LegacyUser

Why though? Why would he leave Milan?

By the way NuNu, i completely agree. I think we need far more than a defensive midfielder, we need a complete leader.

Ruskie4Rent

I'm just happy that it seems like ferguson has a plan and that he's confident in getting this player (probably won't name names because chelsea will steal him:D), i just hope its not another gamble and he's an established quality player.

LegacyUser

Big risk...a lot can happen between now and the summer...sure look at the keane incident. Just two weeks ago, Ferguson said he would be back for todays game.

And let us not forget the Ronaldinho saga, half an hour before he signed for Barcelona, Fergie said he was very confident of him signing...

jank

Gatusso my hole!

Its going to be soem unkown guy from the french league.

Spider_Baby!

Its probably thierry henry, but he obviously wont go to Utd!! Gattuso would be a great signing, but i dont think he'd want to leave Milan.

Necronomicon

Gattuso has expressed his desire to join United one day, it would be great. Who knows who it could be though......

Rikand

Gattuso would be an absolutely cracking signing for Utd. With keane gone, they need somebody else to kick lumps out of people in the centre of the park

jank

I heard of a friend of mine thats its Ronaldihno and Buffon and Nesta are going to Utd too the season after!!

LegacyUser

Necromomicon wrote:

Gattuso has expressed his desire to join United one day, it would be great. Who knows who it could be though......

No he didn't. Transpired that was created by some **** tabloid journalist for the Daily Star

mchurl

jank wrote:

I heard of a friend of mine thats its Ronaldihno and Buffon and Nesta are going to Utd too the season after!!

I'd like to meet your freind sounds like he is a positive thinker!!

I think gattuso would be a great signing and how about juninho from lyon in beside him?

LegacyUser

Not going to happen. Why would Gattuso leave Milan?

jank

mchurl wrote:

I'd like to meet your freind sounds like he is a positive thinker!!

I think gattuso would be a great signing and how about juninho from lyon in beside him?

Eh! Maybe I should use these tags in future [Sarcasm][\Sarcasm]

Rikand

cheesedude wrote:

Not going to happen. Why would Gattuso leave Milan?

because he has in the past expressed a desire to join utd.....

thats how the ol rumor mill works

Ruskie4Rent

Why is everybody wanting a new "keane". Other teams have been winning things without keane just fine. Its a misconseption that ManU need to replace each player by someone of a similar type.
It is true that ManU need a bit more muscle in the centre and in the back, and maybe another left/right mid. to replace giggs(park played well today but seems more of a squad player).
If ferguson sorts those areas out, and along with whatever bits and bobs he has planned ManU might be fine.

LostinBlanch

cheesedude wrote:

Why though? Why would he leave Milan?

By the way NuNu, i completely agree. I think we need far more than a defensive midfielder, we need a complete leader.

Cheese

Gatusso's wife is Scottish and is reputed to be homesick at least that what the word is on the Redissue board. Of course it would be great to have him (and Maniche too in the January sales please Santa :rolleyes: ). But I'm not holding my breath.

So more Darren Fletcher it is then :eek:

mchurl

LostinBlanch wrote:

Cheese

Gatusso's wife is Scottish and is reputed to be homesick at least that what the word is on the Redissue board. Of course it would be great to have him (and Maniche too in the January sales please Santa :rolleyes: ). But I'm not holding my breath.

So more Darren Fletcher it is then :eek:

please no more fletcher:eek:

LegacyUser

Rickylovesuall wrote:

because he has in the past expressed a desire to join utd.....

thats how the ol rumor mill works

See Daily Star post just above. It was bull****.

LegacyUser

LostinBlanch wrote:

Cheese

Gatusso's wife is Scottish and is reputed to be homesick at least that what the word is on the Redissue board. Of course it would be great to have him (and Maniche too in the January sales please Santa :rolleyes: ). But I'm not holding my breath.

So more Darren Fletcher it is then :eek:

Really hope so. I can not picture a more perfect player for Man Utd.

gracehopper

I'd take any of the following midfielders:

Diarra
De Jong
Costinha
Maniche
Gattuso
Cahill
Duscher

johnor

It's been floating about that yer man Zokora or whatever, looks a good player seen him a few times now, that he is available in the summer. Hes been linked loads with united...real box to box player.....we need someone in january tho, this season is far from lost! In know Champions league wise we are screwed cos any mid worth their salt is already playin in europe but surely the league aint lost yet!

Ruskie4Rent

I like Cahill! He's tough enough and he has got an eye for goal. He was far morre impressive last year though.

shepthedog

Cahill is burnt out from so many games with the Aussies.. Dont know if hes United quality tho and probably overpriced..

Isnt De Jongs contract up in the summer??

Pepe LeFrits

De Jong will indeed be on available on a free. Not the player to solve United's midfield problems though I don't think, but he'd be a handy player to have around nonetheless.

gsand

Diarra
De Jong
Costinha
Maniche
Gattuso
Cahill
Duscher

Good list

Imo highest chances are for: Diarra, Duscher or Zokora

Maniche is off to Athletico in Jan I think, I doubt fergie would go for costinha and although De Jong is great I dont think he is the player man u are after

As already mentioned cahill is a bit risky and I doubt gattuso leaves milan...

merlinsmerryman

gsand wrote:

Maniche is off to Athletico in Jan I think, I doubt fergie would go for costinha and although De Jong is great I dont think he is the player man u are after

Heard that but then read that United may try and sign him as a move has not been finalised, figure of £8million has been mentioned.

LostinBlanch

Well Merlin,

let's hope we get him. But I think he has his mind set on a move to Atletico (according to the Russian press) but still we could get lucky! He's just the sort of player we need. I'm not sure about Zokorra - could be another Djemba Djemba.

Still Gatusso would be nice too.

Vokes

gracehopper wrote:

I'd take any of the following midfielders:

Diarra
De Jong
Costinha
Maniche
Gattuso
Cahill
Duscher

De Jong is a defender, no?

mchurl

SofaKing wrote:

De Jong is a defender, no?

I think there are 2 de jongs but i stand open to correction

Nunu

Here's the latest on the one and only John Obi Mikel. What a joke of a situation and by the way I'm finding it harder and harder to feel any sympathy for the player aswell. Do Utd really want a character like this at the club? Even if they do It's not going to happen.....

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=329652&CPID=8&clid=&lid=2&title=Mikel+saga+rumbles+on

The ongoing saga between Lyn midfielder John Obi Mikel, Manchester United and Chelsea shows no signs of abating.

Earlier in the week Mikel's lawyer Stephen Tregear accused Lyn director Morgan Andersen of fabricating the contract signed by the player last April.

Andersen has subsequently been called in by the Oslo police for alleged falsification of two signatures on the 18-year-old's contract, penned a week before the Nigerian signed for Manchester United.

This latest accusation has been dubbed a 'media coup' by Lyn lawyer Erik Nadheim, whilst chairman Sveinung Lunde claims he will fight all the charges brought against the club and its employees.

"Together, we will give a reply through our lawyer to Fifa and the Oslo court," confirmed Lunde to TV2.

"We do not understand the accusations against Morgan Andersen."

The Nigeria international sued the club on Friday in the hope of getting his contract with the Oslo club annulled, which would allow him to join Chelsea and not Manchester United.

However, Nadheim believes that a court ruling is unlikely to take place before the end of 2006, which would block any transfer.

"I can confirm that I represent John Obi Mikel and that we have sued the football club FC Lyn," confirmed another of the player's lawyers, Helge Morten Svarva.

Fifa, who ruled in favour of the Norwegian club earlier this year, will wait for the court verdict before making any further comment.

Whilst officials from both parties fight in the courts, Lyn coach Henning Berg has been left to lament the fact the player has now gone AWOL.

"We don't know where they are, but I am not running around town to look for them," commented Berg to VG.

wheres me jumpa

honestly i dont see how any club could want this guy after all that sh**e.

LegacyUser

It's not the players fault...he is only a kid.

LostinBlanch

cheesedude wrote:

It's not the players fault...he is only a kid.

No it's his agent, (the aptly named) ****tu. He practically kidnapped the lad, and according to reports threatened his family's safety. He (and others behind him) are trying every trick to get out of a contract signed when Mikel was officially an adult. All the footage showed a happy Mikel not under any undue pressure until his "agent" phones him and takes him away from his club. The reason that they are throwing this up now is in the slim hope that he can get Mikel off to Chelsea where he can have more money than the Glazers will pay.

Cheesedude, I have no idea which team you support but I suggest that if the same situation applied to Mikel joining your club you would feel equally aggrieved. The simple fact is that Mikel signed a legally binding contract and if FIFA throw it out then no contract in football is valid. That may suit the Abramoviches of this world (and possibly United pre Glazers) but it is not good for football. A view that I have long held, this isn't like Italy where clubs can buy players to stop other clubs getting them.

LegacyUser

I am a Manchester United fan...I would like the guy to join us but if he is not interested, then he can go suck a lemon!

id love to see gattuso come to utd!

LostinBlanch

Cheese,

it's the principle of the thing. There's no way that Chelsea should be let walk all over the rest of football just because they've got an owner with billions that he can't / won't explain where it came from, and also has (alleged) mafiya connections.

Either we should:
1. make him play in the reserves for the duration of his contract.

2. hold his contract and not let him play elsewhere, also keeping him out of the World Cup.

3. Let him go to Chelsea.

Of course we should do either 1 or 2. But if he is going to Chelsea then we should at least get Carvallho!

I dunno about you but I still don't see Fletch as a United player

Necronomicon

Has anyone seen enough of Duscher to suggest he won't be another Djemba Djemba? I don't think I've ever seen him play.

Ruskie4Rent

I have! Remember Beckaham's ankle before the last World Cup? That alone should pay for his ticket to OT but I'm not sure if he is gonna be a quality enough signing.

merlinsmerryman

LostinBlanch wrote:

I dunno about you but I still don't see Fletch as a United player

Totally agree, went to see them play Chelsea and beside the goal he did nothing. He has no pace, cann't get past his man and is very weak in the tackle and gives the ball away more than any other player at united. I'm a big United fan and would rather see Ronaldo Smith Scholes and Giggs(when he is fit) in the middle. I have my own thinking behind why he is playing week in week out, I think(and I have no doubt that a lot of people may disagree with me) that Ferguson is doing his best to turn him into some sort of semi-decent footballer in an effort to give Scotland some hope for the future. Just my opinion but I cann't see any other reason behind it.

YeatsCounty

I can't see Gattuso leaving Milan at the end of this season. I can see him leaving before his current contract expires in 2009, but I doubt it will be in summer 2006.

PHB

It doesn't matter whatever FIFA rule, United will win it in a contract law case full stop. Then no matter what, they will get a huge huge amount of money, as compensation for the 8 million spent, and the price to buy out the full contract, plus legal costs, plus damages, for whoever will be willing to take on the case, which I doubt even chelsea would do.

Mikel came 2nd to Messi in the world youth championships, and you can see what Messi is doing for Barca. This guy is a quality player who will be a great in the future, and United will do anything to sign him, even if he doesnt want to.
Also I'm fairly sure, and I'm sure fergie also thinks, that once he is at United for a while, outside the influence of his agent, he will be very very happy there.

Dcully

Gattuso is a fine player but those wanting him to do some kicking may remember he didnt do much kicking in the CL final

wheres me jumpa

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=329849&CPID=8&clid=&lid=2&title=United+eye+duo

youth it is!

gracehopper

Havent seen much of yer man halford, davis is a decent player but for god sake both these players are hardly going to win us the CL or the league, Fergie is talkng about buying a big signing in the summer, does he realise that he's under pressure this season to win trophies???

LostinBlanch

MAN UNITED WANT DE JONG

Dutch midfielder Nigel De Jong is the latest to be added to the long list of players being targeted by United. The Daily Mirror claims that Ajax are ready to cash in on the 20-year-old and would sell for £3m. Ferguson is said to have been given £10m to spend, and The Guardian say that France Under-21 left-back Lucien Aubey has been watched by scouts several times.

http://www.itv-football.co.uk/Gossi...,814013,00.html

Hmm maybe someone at United actually reads message boards :eek:

wheres me jumpa

de jong is a very good plaer, he can play anywhere across the middle or defense. and it is a versatile player like this i see united signing in january.

gracehopper

Yeah from what i've seen of him he's very good, his best position is holding midfield apparently but ajax play him right back also, he's scored a couple of goals in CL this year aswell, Maybe the mirror is right because fergie was quoted as saying one of his prime targets isnt available until the summer and de jong is available on a free in the summer

homerjay540

PHB wrote:

It doesn't matter whatever FIFA rule, United will win it in a contract law case full stop. Then no matter what, they will get a huge huge amount of money, as compensation for the 8 million spent, and the price to buy out the full contract, plus legal costs, plus damages, for whoever will be willing to take on the case, which I doubt even chelsea would do.

did i miss something here? where did that 8million figure come from?

Nunu

LostinBlanch wrote:

Either we should:
1. make him play in the reserves for the duration of his contract.

2. hold his contract and not let him play elsewhere, also keeping him out of the World Cup.

3. Let him go to Chelsea.

Surprisingly Nigeria haven't qualified for the World Cup, so he wouldn't be affected by that.